How John Lifted His Closing Rate 10 Points in 60 Days

Your Production Capacity Is Your Profit Ceiling

Most contractors plan from the top down. They set a sales goal, run the marketing, and hope production figures itself out. John Kolbaska did it that way for years. This episode is about what changed. In this episode of Build to Win, Jonathan and John break down the two most important numbers in your business: your break-even point and your production capacity. He breaks down how he uses his crews' install rate to set a production ceiling, works out exactly where his break-even lands each month, and plans every sales and marketing dollar around that math. Every dollar above his break-even converts to 55 to 60 cents of pure net profit. He plans his year from that number, not from a revenue target. They also cover accrual accounting and why it gives you a clearer picture of your real margins, what a healthy backlog actually looks like on your P&L, and the installer recruiting process John built from scratch. He applies the same speed-to-lead logic from his call center directly to job applications. Get them on the phone within a minute. Interview scheduled within 72 hours. Jonathan also walks through Bolt Insights inside Builder Prime, a business intelligence suite built directly into the platform. You ask your data where you're losing money and it shows you by lead source, by sales rep, by crew, by job type. No external tools needed. If you run a specialty home improvement company and want to know what's actually driving your margins, this is a good place to start. Key Takeaways:  00:00 Intro 01:02 Why Most Contractors Plan Backwards 01:26 The Two Numbers That Run Your Business 02:18 How to Calculate Your Production Capacity 04:30 Break-Even Math. Where the Real Profit Starts 06:20 What Happens When You Oversell Your Capacity 08:56 When a Backlog Is Telling You to Hire 10:54 Accrual vs. Cash. Why It Changes Everything 12:38 Profit First. Why People and Process Come After 14:36 How to Recruit Installers Using Speed to Lead 20:00 Treat Recruiting Like Marketing. Short Bursts Win 23:02 Show Young Tradespeople a Career Path 27:22 Bolt Insights. Ask Your Data Where You're Losing Money 36:44 Final Thoughts Additional Resources: 🔥 Watch our FREE on-demand webinar: HERE [https://www.builderprime.com/webinars/on-demand-webinar-drive-20-net-profit-with-systems-processes?utm_campaign=35&utm_medium=Audio&utm_source=RedCircle] ⚡ Learn more about us: https://www.builderprime.com/ [https://www.builderprime.com/]  📱 Connect with us on social media: Facebook:   / builderprime   LinkedIn:   / builderprime    Jonathan’s LinkedIn:   / jonathanweinberg    John’s LinkedIn:   / john-kolbaska-a271a757    Instagram:   / builderprimecrm

How to Scale a $2M Home Improvement Business to $15M

Your pricing is right. The margin is built in. Your reps still give it all away. In Episode 34, Jonathan Weinberg and John Kolbaska sit down to break down a $4M home improvement company that was losing $600K to $700K a year. The fix took two weeks and one set of controls most owners never run. John also walks through the launch of Core Ignite, his new remote marketing team and call center installed inside a contracting business. A trained marketing manager handles Facebook, Google Ads, and Google LSA spend. Remote reps apply speed to lead at a 50 to 60 percent target set rate on raw opportunities. It's the playbook he ran to scale Windows and Doors by the Men with Tools, now packaged for contractors trying to break $10M to $15M. Here is what you will get from this episode: * How a $4M contractor lost $600K a year to over-discounting and missing post-install job costing checks * What 3 remote call center reps can produce: 50 to 100 booked appointments per week * Why profit has to come before people and process * The hiring profile of a roofing production manager who came in with his own crews and SOPs * Who Core Ignite is built for and how it pushes contractors toward $10M+ If the leads are coming in but the bottom line isn't, this one names what's eating your margin and what to install next. Key Takeaways:  00:00 Intro 00:42 Introducing Core Services and Core Ignite 03:56 Ideal Client: $2M–$5M Companies Looking to Scale 05:16 AI Agents, Graphic Designer, and Videographer 07:06 Future of the Call Center and AI Regulation 09:28 Sales Capacity and Remote Recruiting 13:44 KPI Tracking, Guarantees, and Replacing Underperformers 16:18 Lead Aggregator Strategy and Weekly Client Meetings 18:24 10–20 Set Appointments Per Day: What to Expect 20:46 Why John Started Core Services 23:50 Consulting Case: $600K–$700K Lost to Over-Discounting 27:06 Running Multiple Companies: Profit, People, Process 29:22 Adding Roofing: Hiring a Production Manager with His Own Crews 33:00 Final Thoughts Additional Resources: 🔥 Watch our FREE on-demand webinar: HERE [https://www.builderprime.com/webinars/on-demand-webinar-drive-20-net-profit-with-systems-processes?utm_campaign=34&utm_medium=Audio&utm_source=RedCircle] ⚡ Learn more about us: https://www.builderprime.com/ [https://www.builderprime.com/]  📱 Connect with us on social media: Facebook: / builderprime   [https://www.facebook.com/builderprime/] LinkedIn: / builderprime  [https://www.linkedin.com/company/builderprime/]   Jonathan’s LinkedIn: / jonathanweinberg [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweinberg/]    John’s LinkedIn: / john-kolbaska-a271a757    [https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kolbaska-a271a757/] Instagram: / builderprimecrm   [https://www.instagram.com/builderprimecrm/] — Build to Win is a podcast for contractors where we give you the tools to grow your home improvement business. Follow us wherever you listen to your podcasts!

RERUN: The Secret Email & SMS Workflow That Boosts Install Rates

Eight to ten percent of sold contractor jobs cancel, and most go silent before they do. In this highlights episode, Jonathan Weinberg and John Kolbaska open up John's live Builder Prime account and walk through the customer follow-up system running behind every Men With Tools project. John runs three locations doing eight figures in windows and doors, with over 1,000 five-star reviews and 30 to 40% of new opportunities coming from repeat and referred clients. The system you'll see inside is what makes that math work. Inside this episode: * The happy email that fires 24 hours after the contract is signed * How to fill the 4 to 6 week production window without ever going silent * The rehash recovery process that pulls back roughly 10% of canceled jobs * The install day email that pre-handles payment, alarms, and weather * The 14-day walkthrough that surfaces repeat door and window projects * The 365-day anniversary inspection that drives referrals years later If your sold board has jobs going quiet on you, this episode shows you where the leak is. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Intro 00:48 The Happy Email: Setting Expectations After the Sale 02:32 Internal SMS Notifications and Referral Touchpoints 03:06 Sold Job Canceled: Rehash and Recovery 05:00 Order Submitted, Acknowledged, and In Process 08:12 Order Shipped and Product Received at the Warehouse 10:06 Schedule Install: Email and Text Cadence 12:08 Install Revenue and Keeping the Warehouse Empty 13:44 Job Scheduled Email: Scope, Payment, and Day-of Prep 1 6:56 Install Complete and Walkthrough Scheduling 18:48 Warranty Registration and Manufacturer Coverage 19:44 One-Year Anniversary Inspection 20:16 Referral Program: 90-Day Email Cadence 21:44 30–40% of New Opportunities from Repeat and Referral 22:08 Five-Star Reviews and the Customer Experience 23:56 Final Thoughts Additional Resources: 🔥 Watch our FREE on-demand webinar: HERE [https://www.builderprime.com/webinars/on-demand-webinar-drive-20-net-profit-with-systems-processes?utm_campaign=33&utm_medium=Audio&utm_source=RedCircle] ⚡ Learn more about us: https://www.builderprime.com/ [https://www.builderprime.com/]  📱 Connect with us on social media: Facebook: / builderprime   [https://www.facebook.com/builderprime/] LinkedIn: / builderprime  [https://www.linkedin.com/company/builderprime/]   Jonathan’s LinkedIn: / jonathanweinberg [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweinberg/]    John’s LinkedIn: / john-kolbaska-a271a757    [https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kolbaska-a271a757/] Instagram: / builderprimecrm   [https://www.instagram.com/builderprimecrm/] — Build to Win is a podcast for contractors where we give you the tools to grow your home improvement business. Follow us wherever you listen to your podcasts!

How John Lifted His Closing Rate 10 Points in 60 Days

Most contractors are running their sales reps into the ground and wondering why their closing rate keeps dropping. In this episode of Build to Win, Jonathan Weinberg and John Kolbaska break down the lead distribution change that lifted John's net closing rate from 27% to 37% in 60 days. John caps his reps at 5 to 7 leads a week instead of the usual 10 to 15. Every appointment gets full effort, fewer leads get burned, and commissions stay the same because reps are closing a higher percentage. He walks through how to route leads by project type, lead source, and zip code, why hometown and showroom-area appointments close highest, and the day-of-week sit rate data most contractors are missing. The episode also covers a closing move John picked up at the Wealthy Contractor Success Society, where the owner gets pulled into the deal before the rep can leave the home. Plus a real story about how one discounting control fix is worth more than $500,000 a year to a contractor John has been consulting with. If your closing rate is stuck and your reps are burning out, this is the playbook. Key Takeaways:  00:00 Intro 01:32 Recruiting Like an Inbound Lead 03:56 How John Went from 27% to 37% Closing Rate 05:44 Lead Distribution and Creating Scarcity 08:00 Why Overworked Reps Burn Leads 11:48 Weekend vs. Weekday Closing Rates 13:44 All-Party Sit Rate by Day of the Week 17:54 Routing Leads by Zip Code and Lead Source 19:06 High, Medium, and Low Intent Buyers 22:06 Scarcity Creates Leverage 24:28 Ticket Size and Adjusting Lead Volume 26:04 The "Burn It to the Ground" Drop Strategy 30:04 Consulting Case: $500K–$600K Lost to Unreviewed Discounts 32:06 Final Thoughts Additional Resources: 🔥 Watch our FREE on-demand webinar: HERE [https://www.builderprime.com/webinars/on-demand-webinar-drive-20-net-profit-with-systems-processes?utm_campaign=32&utm_medium=Audio&utm_source=RedCircle] ⚡ Learn more about us: https://www.builderprime.com/ [https://www.builderprime.com/]  📱 Connect with us on social media: Facebook: / builderprime   [https://www.facebook.com/builderprime/] LinkedIn: / builderprime  [https://www.linkedin.com/company/builderprime/]   Jonathan’s LinkedIn: / jonathanweinberg [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweinberg/]    John’s LinkedIn: / john-kolbaska-a271a757    [https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kolbaska-a271a757/] Instagram: / builderprimecrm   [https://www.instagram.com/builderprimecrm/] — Build to Win is a podcast for contractors where we give you the tools to grow your home improvement business. Follow us wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Lead Aggregators Are Costing You 50% in Marketing. Here's How to Flip the Game.

A lead aggregator rep told John straight up: send you 100 leads at $75 each, you'll close one job. That's $7,500 in marketing spend for a single $14,000 sale. Fifty percent cost of marketing. She said it with a smile. That conversation kicked off the playbook Jonathan Weinberg and John Kolbaska break down in this episode. John walks through the exact terms his team puts in front of every aggregator now: pay per issued lead at his real cost, pay per demo, or a flat percentage of the closed sale. About 40 percent of providers sign. The other 60 percent walk, and that filter is the whole point. Then John gets into a contact rate problem most owners haven't caught yet. Carriers are flagging outbound numbers as spam likely after roughly 50 calls in a day, and once a number gets flagged it stays flagged. In this episode: * The three pay structures John uses with lead aggregators * Why 60 percent of providers walk away and why that's a good thing * The spam-likely flag killing your contact rate * The area code trick that lifted pickup rates 10 percent * The exact call cadence his team runs every day If you're a specialty contractor spending real money on leads, this episode hands you a system you can put in place this week. Key Takeaways:  00:00 Intro 01:28 Why I Stopped Playing by Their Rules 04:06 How a Great Lead Source Got Ruined 06:24 The Strategy Meeting That Changed Everything 08:00 Here's Exactly What We Pay Lead Aggregators Now 10:04 Why 60% of Aggregators Walk Away 15:08 She Said 1% Close Rate Like It Was Normal 23:28 The Hidden Reason Your Contact Rates Are Tanking 26:00 What We Found After Counting Every Call 29:52 Two Small Changes That Are Adding Thousands Per Day 31:06 The Three Call Windows That Actually Work 36:00 Final Thoughts Additional Resources: 🔥 Watch our FREE on-demand webinar: HERE [https://www.builderprime.com/webinars/on-demand-webinar-drive-20-net-profit-with-systems-processes?utm_campaign=30&utm_medium=Audio&utm_source=RedCircle] ⚡ Learn more about us: https://www.builderprime.com/ [https://www.builderprime.com/]  📱 Connect with us on social media: Facebook: / builderprime   [https://www.facebook.com/builderprime/] LinkedIn: / builderprime  [https://www.linkedin.com/company/builderprime/]   Jonathan’s LinkedIn: / jonathanweinberg [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweinberg/]    John’s LinkedIn: / john-kolbaska-a271a757    [https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kolbaska-a271a757/] Instagram: / builderprimecrm   [https://www.instagram.com/builderprimecrm/]