00:47 – Being a Hub for Ideas and Feedback
“I try to make it a point to reach out to people to see what they’re up to, see what they’re doing, see if I can help out in any way. In turn I get a lot of great ideas and can share that with everyone else.”

07:16 - On the Marketing Newsletter
“We send it out just to get people thinking. We offer up resources, share what we’re doing at corporate, what we can offer you.”

10:19 - Trends in Marketing
“People are finally getting down into the dirt of communicating face-to-face. That’s making a big splash because everybody is really burned out by everything being digital. What’s contradictory to that is that you also have to have a digital presence.” 

13:34 - Building on the SUNDEK Story
“Gen Z might not care that SUNDEK has been around for 70 years, but they may care that the experience SUNDEK brings is going to help them save time.”

16:09 - What Makes SUNDEK Unique
“There’s not something that makes ‘We transform your space’ unique. But when paired with the other values SUNDEK offers, it grows in importance.” 

17:27 - Being Authentic
“Sometimes in a corporate world you can have barriers of being formal, politically correct, or using specific jargon. I just kind of decided I’m not that way.”

22:11 - Desired Feeling for SUNDEK Customers
“Peace of mind. That, to me, is clarity that they are moving in a good direction with people, products, services they can trust.” 

24:25 - Giving and Getting Support
“Everybody wants a village, but to have a village you need to be a village. If you want people to show up for you, you need to show up for them. That’s in all aspects of our life.” 

27:16 - Journey as a Creative
“As an art historian, I have a plethora of centuries to draw for in human com and iconography. I can understand how to get the right message to the right person.” 

35:47 - Intentional Forward-Thinking Work Mindset
“If I used a word to describe myself it would be ‘pragmatic.’ That just kind of bleeds into everything, because why would I work harder when I can work smarter and save myself time?” 

36:56 - Everyone is a Marketing Guru
“I can help people to a certain point. But what I want to stress to people is that the answer to your marketing is in you. Because you are in your own environment. You know your people.” 

41:21 - Leadership Style
“Leadership is a constant tug of war between being too much and not enough. Being oppressive to the people you’re trying to lead or inspiring them to be better. How can I motivate you without hurting you or enabling you in a negative way?” 

43:07 - Balance & Creative Outlets
“I do not balance, at all times, being a mother, a professional, and a creative. It’s just not possible. But I strive to. I constantly think about how to find balance.” 

46:37 - Recent Inspiration
“I’m listening to Atomic Habits. That’s been very relaxing for me because it’s low pressure and low stress. It’s making me feel like, if I’m doing good 60% of the time, that’s good enough. And It’s going to have a positive impact.” 

00:30 - Bob’s Background & Motivation
“It’s every boy’s dream to play with construction trucks, but I lived it. Along the way, I’ve met fascinating people from around the world. That’s kept me engaged all these years.”

05:54 - Advice for New Contractors
“When you’re getting started, the best thing to do is be down to earth and simple. Learn what you’re doing. Learn the business side of the business.”

07:56 - Building Relationships
“If you want to be successful in business, you need to be out there with your customers.”

13:07 - Share What You Do
“What keeps an architect on top of their game is new products. So they’re always open to hearing what you do.”

21:09 - Maintaining Connections
“I reach out to people periodically even if I haven’t talked to them in a year or two years.”

24:02 - Be Bold with Cold Calls
“People don’t like rejection, but you have to get over that hurdle. What’s the worst they can tell me, ‘get out?’”

29:36 - Overcoming Fear
“When you go see someone new, don’t be afraid. Remember that you know more than they do about your product.”

30:57 - Getting Out of the Office
“We do blitzes every once in a while where I get the sales people together and we go to a part of town and we just go from building to building to building and drop off information.”

34:05 - Handling Pushback
“It wouldn’t be human nature not to ask for something better, but you have to stand your ground.”

37:09 - Build a Trusted Team
“No matter where someone is on the totem pole, respect what they do and their talents.”

43:33 - Personal Legacy
“I don’t think I’m any better than anyone else, but if people just remember that maybe I contributed to that or maybe I helped them with this, I think that’s all anybody could really
want.”

54:40 - Putting Product Down
“Year one, you need to be out there putting that stuff down. Because if you don’t start that way, learning the product, you’ll never be successful. You’ve got to know it.”

• 3:40 – Kevin Thiemer on Following Up with Customers
   “If customers have needs that are above and beyond what we offer, I share information about the network we have to make it easier for them to get things done.”   
• 05:45 – Ross Hilz on Analyzing Customer Preferences
  “There’s a lot of competition out there and a lot of those people are just looking for a quick sale. When I go out and look, I look for those little things that will set me apart from the competition. I think that’s where the value of SUNDEK comes in.” 
• 08:19 – Rick Hubbard on Job Costing & Inventory
  “When reps sell a job, we read the scope of work, the estimate, and what we sold it for. I look at the job and costs. We make sure the crew is getting paid fairly before they even go out, and we pay them on the front-end before they go out there.”  
• 11:05 – Tony Hernandez on Building Trust
  “A lot of times, new reps jump in too quickly into the unknown. They try to become product experts and explain the ins-and-outs of everything. I tell everyone it’s okay to say, ‘I don’t know’ and that you’ll find out.” 
• 13:42 – Kimberly Elliott Baldwin on Cold Calling & Being a Great Resource
  “Every time you go out, you usually take the same path. I like to take a different path sometimes. It opens your eyes to businesses that are opening up that maybe weren’t there before. I’m not afraid to walk in and say hi and pass out my business card.” 
• 15:41 – Landon Snider on Being Direct with Customers
  “Ask questions that help guide your sale. For example, ‘You’ve had this deck for 15 years, why did you decide to do something with it now?’ You might find out they’re selling the house, which may lead you toward choosing a less expensive finish since it’s not a forever home. You can also ask questions to find out if they’re getting competitive bids.” 
• 19:25 – Kevin Toczek (on behalf of Beth Toczek) on Setting Aside Money for Your Business
  “Six to seven years ago, we started saving 25% of a deposit by putting it in a different account. When you get a deposit and put it in the bank, it’s kind of hidden away. You’d be amazed how much wealth you can grow by just putting it somewhere else.” 
• 22:52 – Tyler Adrian on Reviews
  “After we complete a job, we email a customer a prompt for a review. The review comes to us first so we can respond directly.” 
• 25:15 – Kevin Toczek on Having Good Rapport with Customers 
  “Just being honest with your customers and employees goes a long way.”

• 00:43 – Time Management
  “With time management, I can control my time. I feel I’m a lot more productive, and I feel there’s a lot less stress.”
• 04:22 – Pricing Jobs
  “I can see the job and forecast it before we start it. I know what labor is required, and with pictures, I can see where the extra labor is going to be. Using a spreadsheet, I can plug in the square footage and come up with material costs.”
• 06:50 – The Value of Photos
  “When I started, we had a polaroid camera. Now, the guys can be on a job, put a picture on Company Cam, and call in and ask questions about it. What a difference-maker. It saves time and makes money.”
• 10:16 – Material Inventory
  “We walk the warehouse once to twice a week and verify our minimum and maximum materials are in there. We forecast out about six weeks out to make sure we have the materials when we need them.”
• 13:24 – Employee Longevity
  “They’re good to us and we’re good to them. It’s a work family.”
• 15:33 – Cost of Goods Sold
  “Before the job starts, we’re analyzing the job. As the job’s going, we’re analyzing it. We watch our money. We have a budget, and we want to make a certain amount of profit. You have to be on top of it.”
• 17:05 – Approaching the “Money-Makers”
  “Number one is Classic Texture. Number two is an upgrade. You can do a scoreline or an aggregate. When you go to level three, that’s when we’re doing multi-colors or templates or Roman slate.”
• 20:04 – It’s All About the People
  “I believe in the FORD method when you meet somebody. It’s about Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams. When you bring that into the conversation, you’ll get them talking and they’re at ease. You’ll learn a lot more about them at that point.”
• 23:56 – Then Versus Now
  “I don’t get as stressed out as I used to and worry about the little stuff as much. I know it’ll take care of itself and sometimes it just needs some nudging to get there.”

• 00:40 – Taking Care of the Customer
  “Sometimes the customer isn’t always right, but you try to take care of their concerns and explain things. I think a lot of it is just being honest and making sure that when we leave, they’re happy.” 
• 04:28 – Lessons from Early On 
  “When you start in this business, it’s not only about learning product but learning bidding. Bidding is probably one of the hardest things to do, and we learned the hard way. We kept our prices low at first, then in turn you work, work, work and never get ahead.” 
• 10:00 – Classic Texture
  “It changed the trajectory of our business.” 
• 14:01 – Starting Small
  “Don’t go try to do a 5,000 square foot job of a metallic floor if you’ve never done metallic. Start out with baby steps. Try out other products as borders with your Classic Texture. Then gradually work into those bigger jobs.” 
• 16:40 – Setting Clear Expectations with Customers
  “A lot of it is explaining to a customer what an application is from start to finish so their expectations are very clear. Our Sales Reps were installers so they are very good at explaining the process to clients. It’s very rare that we get clients who are unsatisfied.” 
• 19:23 – Walking Away from Jobs
  We have walked away before. I just say, ‘I’m sorry, we simply do not have an application we can install to your standards, but we appreciate the opportunity.’” 
• 22:01 – Relationships Within SUNDEK
  “It’s not only on a company level, but it’s the SUNDEK Nation/SUNDEK Family and the networking. We have relationships that have grown through the years through the conventions or helping out someone in our area.” 
• 23:35 – Training With SUNDEK
  “I try to be a teacher, but I also try to learn something. That’s what it’s all about—helping each other and learning from each other.” 
• 28:52 – Getting Reviews
  “We’ve changed our processes, so our Sales Reps are the last ones to visit the jobsite. They take pictures and ask for a review. They also hand the customer a business card that goes straight to a link for a review.” 
• 32:30 – Resources: New SUNDEK Portal 
  “The SUNDEK portal—that’s huge! Not only for the people who have been with SUNDEK forever, but the new businesses that are coming into SUNDEK.” 
• 34:06 – Helpful Books
  “Profit First by Mike Michaelowicz led us to change our billing structure for our customers: If you’re going to get on our books, you’re going to give us 25% deposit. That has changed our overall financial structure.” 
• 36:25 – Explaining the Deposit to Customers
  “When we’re going to start a project in two weeks, I tell them we need the deposit to buy the product. When we’re backed up and won’t be starting for 12 weeks, I tell them we need the deposit to hold their spot. We give leeway depending on the time of year.” 
• 39:36 – Balancing Commercial & Residential Projects
  “We have some GCs and some smaller remodelers and builders who do commercial work, and I would say that’s our niche. We chase some of the big commercial jobs, but it’s not our bread and butter.” 
• 42:03 – Working In Your Business vs. Working On Your Business
  “New companies that really grow fast, the owner isn’t putting product down. Not to say that doesn’t work because we did that for a long time. But our company really didn’t take off until I got out of the field. You need to think, ‘Who can I hire or who can I train to be out in the field so I can work on my business?’” 
  
  

• 00:30 – Value of Experience “In the Bucket”
  “Probably the most important thing that’s boosted me to where I am today. I know what works and what doesn’t.”
• 01:52 – Having a Relationship with Your Production Staff
  “Establishing a relationship early on with your production staff is pretty much the best way to ensure a good long relationship. Start with a good foundation.”
• 03:26 – Dealing with the Challenge of Losing a Sale
  Not letting one lost sale get to your head—moving forward with a positive mindset.   
• 06:32 – Being Direct with Customers
  “It’s a good way to open to tell the customer, ‘You’re not going to hurt my feelings if you say no.’” 
• 10:37 – Providing Detailed Proposals
  “I write it so myself, the production team, and the customer are all one. I also like to put job site photos on my proposal to stand out from the 10 to 15 others who bid. I mark up some of the photos to help customers visualize what we’ll be doing.” 
• 14:04 – Learning from Others
  How he talks with others to learn what makes them successful, then takes the best nuggets and applies those to elevate his own approach.
• 15:54 – Incorporating Technology
  Technology makes it easy to get ahold of people—via text, call, or video call. Integrate that in a way that enhances the customer experience.  
• 17:25 – Anticipating & Eliminating Questions
  “Either the day before or morning of, I text a customer confirming the appointment time and sending a link to our website and a look book. Ultimately, that saves time.”
• 23:20 – Daily Habits
  “I try to keep myself in a rhythm, plan my day out, and keep my ducks in a row. But when the day is over, I decompress to keep that balance between work and life.” 
• 25:58 – Continuing to Learn
  “The best way I learn is by asking questions of people in the industry—or even other industries. I like to find out what other people do and tailor it.”
• 26:52 – Digital Business Card
  “I have my digital business card (through Dot) on the back of my phone—essentially I bump my phone together with a client and it gives them all my information. It has my business card, my contact information, my email, a link to our website, the lookbook, and even YouTube and other fun links in there.”
• 29:23 – Managing Time
  “I’m religious with using Siri to create reminders. It’s one thing that actually works for me. That way I can focus on what I’m doing.” 
• 30:37 – Benefits of Technology
  Being open-minded and learning from the younger generation—for example, how to incorporate technology into workflows.  

• 02:11 – Staying motivated
  “When they’re happy, that’s what makes me happy and moving forward. I like to see the job from start to finish.”
• 04:12 – Building relationships with builders & developers
  “Working with my builders, I try to do everything I can to make their job  easier.”
• 05:35 – Taking care of the customer
  “Someone wants to feel like you really care about their project. I’m passionate about what I do, and that comes across to my builders and homeowners. They know I’m invested.”
• 07:05 – Being with a customer from start to finish
  “Customers tell me all the time, ‘I really appreciate you taking the time to explain what’s going on throughout the whole process.’ That goes a long way.”
• 08:30 – Providing support to builders
  “Builders that I work with know a little bit about a lot. So I like to be a good resource to them—it only helps them look better. They lean on me to be their expert.”
• 09:36 – Collecting sample boards
  “I’ve always been a visual person and I just assume everybody else is, which has helped me a lot on sales.”
• 11:22 – Leading customer through the design process
  “I don’t want to give them too many options, so I ask a lot of questions. I listen to them about what they like and don’t like. Then I know where to direct them from there.”
• 14:46 – Standing out from the rest
  “If people trust you, they’re going to buy from you. Otherwise they have five other bids they’re going to choose from. I have to set myself apart from everybody else.”
• 16:53 – Starting the day with a clean slate
  “I get a cup of coffee, check all my emails, answer questions, get proposals out, and that way when I leave and head out to the office, everything is a clean slate so I don’t have any stress on me and am ready to start the day.”
• 17:54 – Getting inspired
  “It’s about giving myself time to re-energize and think.”
• 19:48 – Advice for new salespeople
  “There are a lot of moving parts, so you have to be organized. Listen to your customers and be a good resource for them. Be honest and sincere. You have to set yourself apart.”
• 22:05 – Having a positive attitude & giving your time
  “When you see a customer each day, you need to bring your personality. That’s gone a long way with me as well. When I’m with a customer, I want them to know that the time they’re spending with me is very valuable. I don’t take any phone calls or any text messages.”
• 24:25 –Final comments on the best qualities of a sales rep
  “As long as you’re sincere and you’re out there managing your time and being honest with people and sincerely wanting to help them, the sales will come.”

• 01:44 - Developing People Skills
  “I try to focus a lot on positive energy. Part of my job is talking on the phone with people. You have to shine through the phone so they feel that from you.” 
• 04:00 – Cultivating and Maintaining Connections
  “Always touch base with your clients, even if it’s just a phone call to say, ‘Hey, I heard the weather was bad over there, so I wanted to check in on you.’” I check in with my big clients at least once a month.” 
• 07:54 – Why Fostering Relationships with Clients is So Important
  “I believe that once you have that connection with customers when it comes down to it, they feel comfortable calling you.  
• 11:39 –Beginning a Relationship with Clients
  “I always spend a lot of time with them and always follow up with an email with spec sheets and details the customer would want.”  
• 15:09 – Listening is Essential
  “You have to have the listening skills down pat because you really need to hear what the customer saying.” 
• 19:41 – Benefits of Having the Product & Doing Installation
  “It’s an easier process, and we hear that a lot. It takes the worry and concerns away from them.” 
• 21:48 – On Working with Michael Mercado
  “He is there to assist and always provide a second set of eyes. He’ll jump on a call with me any time. He’s hands-on.” 
• 25:06 – Getting Call Backs
  “Sometimes customers go for the lower price rather than the quality—but 50% of the time they call us back after their flash-and-dash job is done.” 
• 27:52 – Customer Feedback
  “We often hear feedback about our crews from customers: they can’t believe how professional they are. They also like that we stay in contact during a project and give consistent updates at least every two days so they know what’s coming next. They’re just happy.” 
• 31:35 – Staying Organized 
  “A lot of organization, a lot of notes, and a lot of lists every morning. I write down everything I have to complete that day. At the end of the day if it’s not checked off, it’s the first thing I’m going to do the following day.” 
• 32:52 – Why People Love SUNDEK
  “Our motto is, ‘You Stand On It, We Stand Behind it.” I’ve been with this company for 21 years, and that’s one of the reasons I have been because they really do stand by their word. And it’s just a great group of people we work with.” 
• 33:45 – When Customers Have a Bad Experience with Other Companies   
  “I don’t talk bad about the other companies, even when the customer is. I typically say, ‘Sorry you went through this, but let me tell you what we can do for you.’ I think that’s another reason they feel good when we walk away.” 
• 35:56 – Tips for Success in the Commercial Market
  “Utilize the commercial team as a resource. Let us walk you through it. We would be happy to guide you along.” 
  
  

• 00:23 - Value of knowing what goes on at the job
  “Sales school is fine, but product knowledge is more important.”
•  02:25 - Winning traits of successful salespeople
  “We have different personalities across the enterprise, but the main thing is being punctual, showing up, and following up.”
• 04:01 - Leaning on others
  “I wasn’t a good delegator for a long time. And once I learned to delegate, I found that if I wanted to grow or scale, I couldn’t do it on my own.”
• 04:57 - Know your cost
  “Know your cost. I thought you could outsell your cost and I tried that many times. We could sell all day long, but you have to look at all your material costs, your labor, the deficiencies.”
• 06:22 - Leading others
  “I’m trying to elevate others so they can be better managers and better leaders in the company by taking obstacles out of their way, being accountable, leading by example, having an open-door policy.”
• 07:00 - Profitability
  “I look at bottom line first and work my way up. We’re learning to tell people ‘no’ if a job isn’t right for us or the customer. You have to learn to walk away sometimes.”
• 07:51 - Working with family
  “You need to learn to shut it off.”
• 10:21 - Remaining balanced & finding ways to relax
  “I live in my backyard. That’s where I hang out and turn SUNDEK off. Those are my weekends, usually.”
• 12:32 - Don’s background
  “I was in the right place at the right time.”
• 13:52 - How will it be better?
  “Stay focused on your bottom line. Laser focused.”
• 15:19 - Managing all the moving parts
  “You have to prioritize at some point in your day.”