• 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.”

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/CsF2eJoaEt8

• 00:55 – The Basics of Using LinkedIn 
  “I recommend it for brand awareness—also collaboration with existing contractors, customers, people within your industry, and also people you might want to do business with or partner with.”
• 01:53 - Setting up your profile & pictures
  “Showcase what Sundek is and what we do from a visual standpoint.”
• 03:09 - Keep it Current
  “Anything that’s changed, or a broken link, or looks outdated might make it look like you don’t keep your profile updated.”
• 04:35 – Building Connections
  “I recommend connecting with clients, architects, and new people you meet in the industry. If we get phone calls from people interested in becoming a dealer or contractors, I connect with them.”
• 07:30 – Commenting Tips
  “Before you post anything or comment, ask yourself, What purpose is this serving? You don’t want to offend anyone or get into politics or anything that’s questionable.”
• 09:22 – Posting Ideas
  I obviously post stuff about Sundek. I’ve also posted about other things that are interesting and things other companies have spotlighted. I also recommend sending a private message or post in messenger. That’s an area where we can post and share without it going public.” 
• 15:02 – Sharing Content
  “If you have a new interest or a new person you might want to grow in your network, you might want to send someone new content in a private message.”
• 17:28 – Frequency
  “I like to go on enough so I’m aware of what’s going on with our partners and other people in the industry.”  

• 00:37 - Steering Customers in the Right Direction
  “When a customer wants something we can’t do, I steer them in the direction of: we can’t necessarily do this, but we can do that.”
• 03:46 - Benefits of Building Trust with Customers
  “Our reputation speaks for itself among all the builders around here.”
• 04:34 - Seeing Through the Lens of Production
  “It’s not just what it takes to get the job sold, it’s what it takes to get the job completed.”
• 07:40 - Understand the Product & Process to Sell Better
  “The more knowledge you can get about how Sundek is installed and how it’s produced and all the obstacles that come with it, learning all those things in the long run is going to make you a better salesman.”
• 10:32 - Selling the Company to the Customer
  “I solidify what we do and what we’re about. I share that 4 out of 5 crew leaders have been with us since 2005.”
• 11:59 - On His Favorite Job
  “Big. Simple. Profitable.”
• 13:35 - On His Path to Ownership
  “I loved the feeling of sales—the rush of closing the deal.”
• 16:09 - Influences of Past Experiences
  “Looking back now [on his previous job as a college football coach] I really picked up on things. It’s still managing people.”
• 21:32 - Understanding Challenges & Staying Positive
  “I’ve got a really good core surrounding.”
• 25:24 - Getting New Ideas from Various Industries
  Burley shares that he listens to podcasts, audiobooks, and watches shows from a variety of fields: finance, real estates, etc. “I’m not selling real estate, but they’re still managing a team and managing people, and there are still things you can pick up from that.”
• 28:19 - Networking & Putting Yourself Out There
  “You never know when you’re going to spark a new relationship that could turn into something really beneficial in the future.”
• 35:44 - Setting Boundaries
  “I definitely try to shut it down as much as possible. When I’m at home, I’m home.”

• 00:50 - What separates a successful SUNDEK professional from the rest
  “Individuals who maintain or grow in their success stay open. Open minded, open to feedback…open emotionally and mentally as well.”
• 05:46 - Figuring out what’s important to the customer
  “You never know what’s important to somebody until you ask. The more we listen and hear what they’re saying, the better we provide them with the best solution possible.”
• 06:59 - Preparing for a successful first meeting with customers
  “The more info you have ahead of time, the easier the appointment will be. You’re putting more value on their time and on your time.”
• 15:03 - Stepping outside of your bubble
  “It is a good thing to step outside once in a while and reevaluate and make sure your messaging is still good and the vocabulary you’re using is still relevant.
• 16:44 - Teamwork being integral to success
  “When you share in the same passion and your curiosities are the same, and your enthusiasm is the same, and everybody’s engagement is there…there’s something very magical that happens with those situations. The team we have is absolutely remarkable.”
• 20:19 - Branching out for brainstorming
  “Going to somebody who isn’t directly attached or in the day-to-day of it might be able to give some really good feedback and be able to brainstorm with me a little bit differently.”
• 22:03 - Learning that mistakes are part of success
  “You can’t be successful without having some failures because you have to learn from those. And you’re able to teach others through those.”
• 25:36 - It’s all about the people
  “The result of the product on the concrete is important to us, but the joy in the souls of the people in this office and in all our other Sundek offices—that’s the most important thing. Because without that, we wouldn’t have those finished projects with Sundek on the concrete.”
• 30:59 - Being productive
  “On a weekly basis, I sit down Monday morning and write down my top three priorities for the week. If things change and I have to pivot attention to something more important, that’s okay. One of the hardest things for me to learn was to be very flexible.”
• 35:13 - Staying open to possibilities
  “Regardless of what dept or division I’m in, or what that looks like exactly, as long as I’m here, I’m happy.”

Chapter Highlights

• 00:25 - Figuring out customer wants and needs
  “Everybody has the things that are important to them.”
•  02:46 - Sharing the SUNDEK difference
  “I ask if they’re familiar with SUNDEK as a company. That gives an opening to explain how we separate ourselves from our competition.
• 03:50 - Communicating well with customers
  “You’re not going to go in and talk to every single person the same way. My wife always says, ‘You have to be a chameleon.’”
• 08:23 - Gaining knowledge as a sales representative
  “I had to go in and work in the bucket for a few weeks…and I learned more in that short time about the process and products than in the entire time I’d been in production.”
• 11:13 - Following up with customers
  “I try not to come across as pressuring them, but I let them know I’m there should they need anything.”
• 12:19 - Staying motivated
  “the drive comes from my family. My wife and kids—knowing what I’m doing it for. The support system comes from everybody around me.”
• 15:07 - Asking the right questions
  “Depending on what the customer says will lead me into another question or series of questions, but that is the core that leads me down that path of where I need to go.”
• 20:27 - Overcoming objections about price
  “‘Investment’ is a key word to people because it makes people think differently about the money they’re spending.”
• 23:50 - Evaluating customer interactions to improve future conversations
  “When you don’t have the right response, go back and figure out how you could have said it better. Then move forward with that.”

Chapter Highlights

• 00:46 - Being reliable
  “We’ve been getting a lot of feedback from our contractors that even though we’re not the cheapest ones out there, we’re the most reliable.”
• 02:05 - Setting clear expectations with customers
  About initial conversations with customers over the phone: “We don’t set the wrong expectation and then get out there and say, ‘Oh, sorry, that’s not possible based on what we see here.’”
• 06:26 - Being a successful salesperson
  “More than anything, try to keep it a needs-satisfaction type of scenario where you’re not selling what they don’t want to buy. Try to be more a listener than a storyteller.”
• 09:20 - Maintaining a good working environment
  “Once they get comfortable, I allow them time to go after their sales. I think it’s just that
  freedom. They don’t feel like they’re being micromanaged.”
• 13:28 - Taking care of your customers
  “We just try to keep that short communication line open with them which makes them feel they’re being taken care of. There can be an issue with a customer, and if there’s no
  communication, that issue blows out of proportion.”
• 17:44 - Staying motivated
  “At the end, all I want is everyone on this staff and everyone around us to do well.”
• 19:01 - Retaining employees
  “To me, the biggest success is when employees are empowered.”
• 22:44 - Finding inspiration
  It’s just enlightening that any of us—if you really believe in something and have a clear
  direction—can accomplish many things.
• 25:40 - Gathering knowledge and applying it
  “It simplified my life by sitting there and learning. And just waiting for the proper opportunity and then being able to implement what I learned over the years.”
• 28:30- Disconnecting from work
  “I just made it a point to myself that I have to have a stopping point every day. And when you go on vacation, that means vacation.”
• 31:04 - Creating a specific culture
  “Allow people to take the front seat and make decisions…and not be afraid to make a mistake, because that’s what you learn from.”
• 39:28 - Helping those around you
  “I’m amazed at how far we can get when you just dedicate some time and give some
  information. It goes a long way.”

sundek.com

Chapter Highlights

• 00:24 - Brainstorming ideas 
  “I want every project to have a personality that represents the customer and makes them comfortable. Makes them feel like they got something special. Not just what the neighbor has.”
• 01:43 - Analyzing customer preferences 
  “I think you have to analyze what the customer is interested in. When you’re talking to them and you give them an idea, do they look like they’re receptive? Or do they look kind of like, Hmmm, that’s not my thing.”
• 02:58 - Paying attention to details 
  “I don’t want to be the guy that just does the job and goes, ‘Well, we did what we could.’”
• 05:03 - Being honest with customers 
  “To be honest with the customer gives them a better comfort level—they know we’re not just coming in to make money. We care about them and that will pay forward down the road.”
• 05:40 - Assessing the site 
  “You can get a real feel for where your customer wants to go based on what you see on their property before you even step foot onto what they’re considering SUNDEK to be applied to.”
• 07:59 - Providing value to the customer 
  “Even if it’s a job I can’t do, can I provide value to them, so they remember that Sundek went above and beyond to assist them in some capacity?”
• 10:08 - Communicating your value through attention to detail 
  “I had a client down in Columbia, TN, and we bid their contract against a couple of other contractors. We got the job even though we were the most expensive because there was detail in my walk-through.”
• 13:01 - Creating detailed & descriptive plans 
  “My drawings get my crews to get the job done the way it’s supposed to be.”
• 16:27 - Staying motivated 
  “It’s knowing that I can take something that I have a vision for and have people that are true artisans and craftsman turn that into a reality.”
• 18:32 - Becoming an effective salesperson 
  “The most I learned was actually being out in the field with crews and asking questions.”
• 21:51 - Finding inspiration in the world around you 
  “I like to go to breweries. But when I’m there, I’m looking at the floor going, ‘Hey, I wonder if we can replicate that?’”
• 23:58 - Learning from mistakes 
  “You can’t be afraid to make a mistake. We’ve all missed square footage, we’ve all missed a crack, we’ve all missed something on a job at some point.”
• 25:18 - Connecting with people
  “I don’t take myself too seriously… my belief is that being just an average, ordinary person is something that everybody can relate to.”

sundek.com
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