The Contractor Fight with Tom Reber

Get Your Sales Leak Score: https://thecontractorfight.com/leak

You just found out that "small" discount is costing you way more than 10%. In this episode, Tom breaks down the actual math behind discounting a job, and why giving away 10% off your price can wipe out 20% (or more) of your profit. If you've ever caved on price because a customer pushed back, this one's for you.

What you'll learn:

• Why your costs don't move when your price does
• The real math behind a "harmless" 10% discount
• How much additional work you have to sell just to break even on a discount
• Why the math gets uglier the thinner your margins already are
• The difference between a strategic discount and a fear-based one

• 00:00 – The problem: contractors negotiating against themselves the moment a customer pushes back
• 00:40 – The example: a $10K job at 50% gross margin
• 01:00 – What actually happens when you cave and knock off 10%
• 01:40 – Your costs don't drop just because your price did
• 02:00 – The real hit: a 10% price discount = a 20% gross profit hit
• 02:20 – Mid-show break: the Sales Leak Scorecard — find out where your sales process is actually breaking down
• 03:20 – Back to the numbers: what it costs to earn that profit back
• 03:40 – How much additional revenue you have to go sell just to replace what you gave away
• 04:20 – The math gets worse at lower margins (30% example)
• 05:20 – When discounting is okay — legit strategic reasons vs. reacting out of fear
• 06:00 – The close: know your numbers, hold your price, protect your profit

Get Your Sales Leak Score: https://thecontractorfight.com/leak

Follow Tom on IG

The Contractor Fight Website

Book a call with the team: https://thecontractorfight.com/battleground

Grab Tom's book FREE: https://thecontractorfight.com/book/

Your business is making more money than ever, but you still hate the damn thing. You’ve got the trucks, the branded wraps, the team, and a schedule that's packed tight. From the outside, it looks like you’re flying high. But you can’t take a single day off without something going sideways. You’re answering every question, putting out every fire, and your margins have anorexia. That business wasn't supposed to be a high-paying prison...it was supposed to give you freedom.

In this video, Tom Reber breaks down why top-line revenue is a bullshit metric, why scaling a broken business just helps you lose money faster, and how to stop being the ultimate bottleneck in your own company.

You’ll learn:

• Why revenue is loud, but profit is what gives you options

• Why growth doesn't fix a weak business...it just exposes it

• Why you are the biggest bottleneck holding your team back

• The 5-part order: Strong You, Strong Home, Strong Business

• What a real Business Operating System (Fight OS) actually looks like

• How to rate your business from 1 to 10 across the 6 key operational pillars

Revenue matters, but if your business owns your ass and runs entirely on your personal energy, you don't own a business...you own a personality cult with trucks and logos. It’s time to stop scaling a turd and start building a business worth having.

Chapters

0:00 - The High-Paying Prison

1:40 - Revenue Isn't The Goal

3:04 - Growth Doesn't Fix A Weak Business

4:26 - You Are Your Biggest Problem

6:04 - Real Businesses Need Real Systems

8:01 - A Business Worth Having Doesn't Mean Easy

9:29 - I Challenge You...

11:20 - Installing The Fight Operating System

Tom Reber is the founder of The Contractor Fight, host of Contractor Fight TV, entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, and former HGTV host. For over 20 years, Tom has helped hundreds of thousands of contractors build businesses worth having by becoming the kind of people capable of building them.

On this channel you'll find straight-talk training on sales, pricing, profit, leadership, marketing, mindset, and what it really takes to build a Strong You, Strong Home, and Strong Business.

The first fight is always with yourself. Join The Fight. 👊

Check out The Fight: www.thecontractorfight.com

Is Your Contracting Business Actually Worth Having?

Most contractors are chasing more revenue, more trucks, more employees, and more jobs.

Wrong scoreboard.

You can build a $3M company and still be broke, stressed, overweight, disconnected from your family, and chained to the business you created.

In this video, Tom Reber breaks down the real test:

Is your business actually worth having?

A business worth having should:

• Make real profit
• Give you more choices
• Function without you being the hero
• Make your life better—not consume it

Revenue matters. Growth matters. But if the business owns your ass, you’re not winning.

Strong You. Strong Home. Strong Business.

The first fight is always with yourself.

0:00 Is Your Business Worth Having?

0:29 When “Successful” Contractors Are Miserable

1:16 Bigger Doesn’t Fix Broken

2:27 Test #1: Does It Make Real Money?

3:41 Test #2: Does It Give You Choices?

4:39 Test #3: Can It Run Without You?

5:35 The Biggest Test: Who Are You Becoming?

6:20 Strong You. Strong Home. Strong Business.

6:36 Ask Better Questions About Your Business

7:27 The Five-Year Gut Check

7:42 Start Fixing the Next Thing

8:05 Build a Business Worth Having

Tom Reber is the founder of The Contractor Fight, host of Contractor Fight TV, entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, and former HGTV host.

For over 20 years, Tom has helped hundreds of thousands of contractors build businesses worth having by becoming the kind of people capable of building them.

On this channel you'll find straight-talk training on sales, pricing, profit, leadership, marketing, mindset, and what it really takes to build a Strong You, Strong Home, and Strong Business.

The first fight is always with yourself.

Join The Fight. 👊

Business training for Contractors: https://thecontractorfight.com/battleground

Contractors hear it every day: “Your price is too high.” But most of the time, price isn’t actually the problem. The problem is that you haven’t given the customer enough evidence to believe you’re worth more.

In this episode of Contractor Fight TV, Tom breaks down the 3 things that justify a higher price without defending it, apologizing for it, or trashing the cheaper contractor.

You’ll learn how to use:

• Communication to build trust before the sale

• Content to establish authority before you ever meet

• Customer experience to prove you’re worth the premium

You don’t get to SAY you’re worth more. You have to prove it. And if you’re constantly hearing that your prices are too high, it might be time to stop blaming cheap customers and start looking at the experience your company is creating.

CHAPTERS

00:00 — “Your Price Is Too High”

00:23 — Stop Defending Your Price

01:04 — What “Justifying Your Price” Actually Means

01:29 — #1: Your Communication Justifies Your Price

02:24 — Your Website Is Part of the Sale

03:02 — Bad Follow-Up Kills Trust

04:18 — Confidence vs. Arrogance

04:43 — Speed Is King

05:32 — Price Isn’t the Only Thing Customers Care About

06:12 — #2: Your Content Justifies Your Price

06:30 — Become the Best Educator in Your Market

07:19 — Stop Making Excuses and Create Content

08:17 — “It Takes What It Takes”

08:39 — What Contractors Should Create Content About

09:38 — #3: The Customer Experience Justifies Your Price

10:22 — Your Team Is Part of the Experience

11:18 — Make Your Company Easy to Work With

11:34 — How Pre-Planning Builds Trust

12:39 — Stop Leaving Customers Loose Ends

13:14 — Warranty Problems Are Opportunities

13:45 — Trust Is What Makes the Higher Price Make Sense

14:25 — “People Are Just Cheap” Is an Excuse

14:54 — The Real Reason You’re Getting Price Pushback

15:30 — Why Tom Gets So Fired Up About This

16:08 — Take the Next Step Ready to build a stronger, more profitable contracting business?

👉 https://thecontractorfight.com/battleground

Sales training for Contractors: https://thecontractorfight.com/command Grab Tom's book FREE: https://thecontractorfight.com/book/

Running a business with your spouse, kids, parents, or other family members can be incredible.It can also get messy fast.When nobody knows exactly what they're responsible for, business problems become family problems. Roles overlap. People start micromanaging each other. Work follows you home. And suddenly you're talking about customers and employees while lying in bed at night.

In this episode, Tim and Derek get into what they've learned from building businesses with family—and the mistakes they wish they'd avoided.They break down why clear roles matter, how to keep business out of your personal life, why every family member needs ownership and autonomy, and how a shared vision can get everyone rowing in the same direction.

Chapters

00:00 The Reality of Family Businesses

00:34 Why We Started Our Own Businesses

03:29 What Employees Don't See About Ownership

05:24 The Hidden Cost of Running a Business

07:35 What Your Employees Actually Need

09:32 Why Business Owners Need an Outlet

10:44 How Family Gets Pulled Into the Business

11:40 Family and Business Relationships Are Different

12:02 The Biggest Family Business Mistake

12:23 Define Everyone's Role

13:52 Communication Changes Everything

15:28 Keep the Business Out of the Bedroom

16:33 You Need a Life Outside the Business

17:59 Respect Each Other's Time

18:44 Get Clear on Responsibilities

18:50 Build a Shared Family Business Vision

19:40 Look in the Mirror First

20:01 Treat Family Members With Respect

21:16 Stop Assuming You Have All the Answers

23:12 Let Other People Solve the Problem

24:54 The Simple Advice for Family Businesses

Working with family doesn't have to destroy your relationships.Get clear about who's responsible for what. Give people ownership. Communicate like professionals. Build a shared vision. And create boundaries so the business doesn't consume the family you built it for in the first place.Subscribe to The Contractor Fight for straight-talk conversations about sales, leadership, profit, people, and building a contracting business worth owning.

Tom Reber is the founder of The Contractor Fight, host of Contractor Fight TV, entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, and former HGTV host. For over 20 years, Tom has helped hundreds of thousands of contractors build businesses worth having by becoming the kind of people capable of building them. On this channel you'll find straight-talk training on sales, pricing, profit, leadership, marketing, mindset, and what it really takes to build a Strong You, Strong Home, and Strong Business. The first fight is always with yourself. Join The Fight. 👊

Sales training for Contractors: https://thecontractorfight.com/command

Grab Tom's book FREE: https://thecontractorfight.com/book/

Before the customer ever asks for a discount, most contractors have already given them one. You lower the labor hours. You shave the material costs. You cut your markup. You manipulate the number until you finally land on a price you feel comfortable saying out loud. Meanwhile, the customer hasn't rejected your price. They haven't questioned it. Hell, they haven't even heard it yet. You're negotiating against yourself.

In this video, Tom Reber exposes four of the biggest lies contractors believe about pricing and why undercharging usually has less to do with math and more to do with fear. You'll learn why chasing the "going rate" is dangerous, why more volume won't fix bad margins, why cheap pricing doesn't actually serve your customers, and how to finally build the confidence to say your price and stand behind it. Because your pricing problem probably isn't a math problem anymore. It's whether you're willing to trust the number.

Chapters

00:00 You're Discounting Before They Even Ask

00:32 This Isn't an Estimating Problem—It's Fear

01:12 Lie #1: "I Need to Be Competitive"

02:05 Lie #2: "I Have to Charge the Going Rate"

03:26 Lie #3: "I'll Make It Up in Volume"

04:19 Lie #4: "Charging More Isn't Fair"

05:18 Your Family Is Subsidizing Your Low Prices

05:58 You're Protecting Yourself From Rejection

06:06 The Math Is Easy. The Courage Isn't.

06:59 How to Build Price Confidence

07:23 Look at the Money You Gave Away

07:33 Set a New Pricing Floor

07:49 The First Fight Is Always With Yourself

Stop trying to outwork bad math. Know your numbers. Charge what your business needs.

Say the price clearly. Then shut up and let the customer make their decision. The first fight is always with yourself. Subscribe to The Contractor Fight for straight-talk training on contractor sales, pricing, leadership, profit, and building a business worth owning.

Tom Reber is the founder of The Contractor Fight, host of Contractor Fight TV, entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, and former HGTV host. For over 20 years, Tom has helped hundreds of thousands of contractors build businesses worth having by becoming the kind of people capable of building them.

On this channel you'll find straight-talk training on sales, pricing, profit, leadership, marketing, mindset, and what it really takes to build a Strong You, Strong Home, and Strong Business. The first fight is always with yourself. Join The Fight. 👊

Ready to grow your life & business? http://bit.ly/4fbjCgo

Most contractors think the fight is with the economy.

Cheap competitors. Bad employees. Price shoppers. They're wrong.

The first fight is always with yourself.

In this video, Tom Reber shares the philosophy behind The Contractor Fight and the journey every contractor must take to become the leader, business owner, spouse, parent, and person they were created to be.

This isn't about tactics. It's about identity. You'll learn why every transformation begins with the mirror, why your future is won in everyday moments, and how pursuing truth leads to the confidence and freedom you've been chasing. If you've been feeling stuck in your business or your life, this may be the most important video you've watched all year.

Chapters

00:00 The First Fight Is With Yourself

00:22 What The Contractor Fight Really Means

01:01 The Mirror Never Lies

02:14 The Story That Changed My Life

04:38 Knowledge Isn't Enough—You Must Choose

07:10 The Three Choices We All Make

08:01 Your Life Is Won in the Moments

10:38 How Fighters Are Forged

11:29 Running Into the Punch

14:17 Lethal Confidence Is Earned

15:19 What It Really Means to Be a Fighter

17:54 When the Fight Stops Being About You

18:47 The Legacy Worth Fighting For

If you're ready to stop settling and become the contractor, leader, spouse, parent, and person you were meant to become, subscribe to The Contractor Fight.

New videos every week on business, sales, leadership, mindset, and building a profitable contracting business that gives you freedom.

Tom Reber is an entrepreneur, business coach, podcaster, leader of The Contractor Fight, creator of Contractor Fight TV and HGTV host. Tom's content has helped hundreds of thousands of home improvement contractors improve their lives and businesses. The Contractor Fight is the ultimate sales training resource for contractors!

Pick a fight with mediocrity. Live Unafraid.

Your business was supposed to give you freedom. So why does it feel like you're working more than ever? Too many contractors build themselves into the center of everything. Every estimate. Every phone call. Every problem. Every decision.

In this episode, Tim and Derek break down why that happens and what it actually takes to build a business that runs without depending on you.

We cover:

• Why most contractors accidentally build themselves another job

• The biggest mistake owners make when building a team

• Why every business needs clear roles and accountability

• How to stop being the bottleneck

• The $100,000 minimum every business owner should expect to earn

• Why systems create freedom, not restrictions

• How to build a company that gives you choices instead of stress

If you're tired of your business controlling your life, this conversation is for you. 👊

Learn more about Battleground and build a business that works without owning you. #contractorfight #contractorbusiness #smallbusiness #construction #contractor #leadership #businessgrowth #entrepreneur #freedom #businessowner

Chapters

00:00 Your business should create freedom

01:10 Why contractors become the bottleneck

02:40 Building a business that doesn't depend on you

04:30 Finding the right people for the right seats

06:00 Discover what your employees really want

07:40 The $100,000 contractor rule

10:00 Build the business you actually want

11:30 Why money creates choices

13:00 Stop controlling every part of your company

16:00 Most contractors never build a real plan

18:00 Build the foundation before you scale

20:00 Why most owners stay stuck

22:20 Your future depends on today's decisions

24:10 The guy in the mirror is the problem

Tom Reber is an entrepreneur, business coach, podcaster, leader of The Contractor Fight, creator of Contractor Fight TV and HGTV host. Tom's content has helped hundreds of thousands of home improvement contractors improve their lives and businesses. The Contractor Fight is the ultimate sales training resource for contractors! Pick a fight with mediocrity. Live Unafraid.

The Command: https://thecontractorfight.com/command

"I need to think about it."

If you're hearing that over and over on your sales calls, here's the truth: it's probably not the objection you think it is. In this video, Tom Reber explains why "I need to think about it" is usually an out...not an objection and how contractors accidentally create it themselves.

You'll learn the exact question to ask when a homeowner says they need more time, plus how to fix the sales process that's causing this objection in the first place.

If you're tired of chasing prospects, lowering your price, and following up on deals that go nowhere, this episode will change the way you sell.

Chapters

00:00 Why You're Hearing "I Need to Think About It"

00:25 It's Not an Objection—It's an Out

01:21 How Contractors Create This Problem

02:02 Stop Earning This Objection

02:32 What's Really Going Through the Homeowner's Mind

03:22 The Exact Response to Use

04:37 Fix the Sales Process, Not the Comeback

05:34 Stop Selling Like a Quote Machine

06:06 The Sales Process That Prevents It

07:00 The Script to Use Every Time

If you want to close more jobs at full price, build more trust with homeowners, and stop hearing the same objections over and over, subscribe to The Contractor Fight for weekly videos on sales, pricing, leadership, and building a profitable contracting business.

Follow Tom on Instagram

Become More: https://www..thecontractorfight.com/battleground

Most contractors think their biggest leadership problem is finding good people.

They're wrong.

The real problem is how they respond when good people make mistakes.

In this episode, we unpack one of the most overlooked leadership lessons in business: knowing when to hold people accountable...and when to give them another shot.

You'll hear the true story of a $100 mistake that could have cost an employee his future—and how choosing to coach instead of condemn led to a $6,500 win just days later.

If you're building a team, this conversation might change the way you lead forever.

00:00 The contractor leadership problem

00:53 The real battle is between your ears

02:00 Why second chances matter

03:14 What if you had unlimited second chances?

04:12 Remember the people who believed in you

05:07 The $100 mistake that changed everything

07:40 Coaching instead of criticizing

08:36 Why grace creates better employees

09:26 The power of your own second chance

10:09 When enough is enough

10:40 The UIT that landed a huge job

11:12 The leadership lesson every contractor needs

The Contractor Fight exists to expose the truth, call you up, and help you become the person your business, your family, and your future deserve.

We refuse to settle.

We pursue the truth.

We own our crap.

We earn confidence.

We build a Strong You. Strong Home. Strong Business.

If that speaks to you…

Welcome to The Fight.

Subscribe for weekly no-BS advice on leadership, sales, profit, and growing a contracting business.

Become who you are meant to be: https://thecontractorfight.com