Let’s face it… effective communication isn’t easy. The perception of what we say or type and how others perceive it can be worlds apart: People jump to conclusions, they only half listen, and words get misinterpreted. When these events happen, they can have devastating effects on team or client relationships.
It even hits the wallet: Some reports estimated that contractors lose upwards of 16 hours/week to busywork and low-value tasks, and $30 to $40 Billion PER YEAR to poor productivity.
At Breakthrough Academy, we see this trend all too often. To help contractors navigate these issues, I recently co-hosted a Contractor Communications Roundtable webinar with CompanyCam’s Luke Hansen.
During the webinar, Luke and I spoke to two trades business owners who have both achieved big wins with their contracting businesses by honing their focus on communication:
- Blake Butry owns Churchill, USA, a Texas-based metal roofing and restoration business that has tripled net profits since 2023.
- Adam Sylvester, owner of Charlottesville Gutter Pros and Charlottesville Lawn Care, and host of Masters of Home Service, a Jobber Podcast. Despite having such a full plate, he manages to keep his workweek under 40 hours.
They both shared a wealth of hard-won knowledge, and it’s all available for you here. Or you can keep reading to get the seven biggest takeaways from the discussion.
1. Client expectations aren’t being met
The client thought their request was clear, but it was interpreted as an off-handed idea and quickly forgotten. Communication lines were crossed, and now, as the project nears completion, the client is unhappy and withholding payment until their change order is properly addressed, causing a cash flow crunch.
To make matters worse, this is a long-term customer, and this simple miss has led them to start questioning every detail. Now they’re threatening to take their next project elsewhere. It’s a stark reminder that trust built over years can be shattered in moments.
“You need to pay attention to subtle requests as part of the job,” Adam shared. A contractor’s top priority should be to pay attention to the things a client cares about and not to treat their expectations lightly. Many of those asks happen early on the project. The customer will remember them. You should, too.
You need to pay attention to subtle requests as part of the job.
2. New hires don’t last
There’s nothing worse after adding a great new person to the team than watching them walk out the door. It means starting the hiring process all over again. The time. The expense. The drag on company resources.
Finding good people is tough, but it’s not enough just to find them. They also need to stay. If you examine the underlying reasons why new hires don’t stick around, it often traces back to poor communication.
This can play out in many ways, such as:
The new employee showed a lot of potential during the interview stage. Since starting, they just don’t seem to “get it.” But the role they’re being asked to do isn’t the one that was described to them.
The new hire believed they had made it clear in the interview that they wanted opportunities to grow their career. But now, they’re struggling to continue that conversation with their manager.
However it occurs, the result is basically the same: the new hire gets fed up… and leaves.
3. Your team is constantly in conflict
Remarkably, healthy communication isn’t something most people are taught how to do, but it’s essential in every area of life. That’s a lesson Caleb and Brittany Auman took to heart as they built a landscape business together, while also being married.
Unfortunately, too many people have become accustomed to unhealthy communication, like passive aggressiveness or explosive outbursts. But there’s no need for either, especially if some structure is applied to discussions. As Adam put it during the Roundtable, “The work environment can be very restorative.”
Blake spoke in depth about how they’ve set up their conversation cadence at Churchill, USA, and implemented Goal Setting & Review (GSR) sessions. These regular one-on-one meetings offer employees a chance to discuss progress toward goals and raise any issues or concerns they’re dealing with.
In Blake’s experience, routines create comfort and safety. But he emphasized that it only works if you hire people you care about. It’s important to focus on people first, structure second.
The work environment can be very restorative.
4. Nothing is documented
Not having documentation is a bit like having a one-sided conversation. It leaves you in the dark. Documentation is critical to providing clarity and specificity. Without it, teams and customers alike are left guessing.
The experts at the Roundtable shared how they use standard operating procedures (SOPs) as a communication tool to keep their teams on the same page when they’re carrying out tasks or handling particular situations.
They acknowledged that it’s important for teams to know where to find what they need. Using images can also go a long way toward getting a point across quickly, because teams won’t skim through 20 pages of text to hunt down an answer.
Whatever form it takes, SOPs are a crucial component of operations management. Without them, contractors could face an expensive legal problem.
5. You’re the bottleneck
It’s not unusual for a contracting business owner to have their team bombard them with the same questions over and over. It makes sense, after all, that the person in charge is the one with all the answers.
But at some point, it’s time to let go and start empowering the team to think for themselves. This can be easier said than done because it can feel purposeful to be needed. Unfortunately, it also eats up time that most business owners don’t have to spare.
Blake said that at Churchill, USA, “Our goal isn’t just to get people to accomplish tasks. Our goal is to equip people to be thinkers and problem solvers.” Though the transition needs to be handled carefully. If someone is delegated too much responsibility too soon, they could become overwhelmed and quit.
Open communication channels (e.g., a forum where employees can post questions and share answers) can also help the team help each other.
Our goal isn’t just to get people to accomplish tasks. Our goal is to equip people to be thinkers and problem solvers.
6. Nobody knows their role
Communication is all about providing clarity, and sometimes that comes in the form of a chart. An organizational chart defines the bounds of each role, and operating without one can have detrimental impacts on productivity. Teams waste time putting out fires – even ones that aren’t theirs to extinguish.
In Blake’s view, “An org chart makes you think about the individual seats in the process.” The Roundtable experts recommend creating an org chart, even if you don’t have people for all the roles yet.
While an org chart offers clarity to a team, it also helps the leader. Basing a business on roles means that if someone leaves the company, the contractor is clear on the traits needed in the replacement.
An org chart makes you think about the actual seats in the process.
7. Sales to production handoffs are a nightmare
Sales-to-production handoffs were a major topic of discussion at the Roundtable, as poor communication is a common point of failure during those crucial moments. In fact, Luke shared that was one of the reasons he started CompanyCam, realizing photos could be so helpful in improving handoffs.
The experts had plenty to say about the issues that inadequate info causes when a job transfers from the sales team to the production crew, which is why the best way to take it in is to listen to the full Contractor Communications Roundtable webinar and hear their advice directly.
There’s also a Q&A section where you can hear the expert panel weigh in on questions and issues faced by other trades contractors. Plus, you can score a ton of BTA’s free tools, including:
Sales to Production Handoff playbook
Accountability Dashboard templates
Critical Conversations Framework
SOP example and more
Effective communication isn’t just a nice-to-have
Communication only becomes more important as your company grows, and it will be nearly impossible to scale without solving these problems. Fortunately, you don’t have to tackle them alone.
Breakthrough Academy helps contractors systemize their business so they can increase profits, work fewer hours, and build stronger teams. CompanyCam is a go-to communication solution for many of BTA’s contractors, helping them capture visuals of job sites and keep their projects on track.
Danny Kerr is the Co-Founder & CFO of Breakthrough Academy and Host of the Contractor Evolution podcast. In addition, he’s a frequent guest on CompanyCam’s educational webinars, speaking on topics like annual business reviews/planning and standardizing operating procedures.
