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Force a call onto a plumber who doesn't want it, and only a few things can happen, and none of them are good. He rushes it, underprices it, does the bare minimum, or does everything right and misses his kid's baseball game. Either way, that's how good companies lose great plumbers.

This breaks down why cramming the board full of calls actually costs you money, and what changed when the approach shifted to one call at a time. You'll hear the real story behind that lesson, the exact text message that gave plumbers control over their own afternoon without anyone abusing it, and why slowing down is where all the profit, the reviews, and the pride in the work actually come from.

Topics discussed:

(00:00) - Why forcing a call on a plumber backfires
(01:51) - How good companies lose their best plumbers
(02:41) - The Valentine's Day call that changed everything
(04:18) - Giving plumbers the time to offer real options
(07:48) - Why a full board isn't actually a good thing
(08:33) - The 2pm text that changed how calls got assigned
(09:27) - Why this builds control instead of chaos
(10:37) - Earning the privilege of choosing your next call
(13:45) - Where all the real profit actually comes from
(15:21) - The one rule to remember: one call at a time

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique: https://www.podcastboutique.com

The Podcast that helps plumbing and heating service contractors stop working for free and actually turn a profit. 

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/?skipRedirect=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprenticeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208

Thank you once again for your support and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with your peers! Stay tuned for more exciting content coming your way every week.

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👇 Take the Trade Traction Score Assessment and discover what to focus on next in your business:  https://tradetraction.scoreapp.com

You wouldn't walk into Home Depot and find just one drill on the shelf. So why do so many plumbers walk into a home, diagnose the problem, and offer exactly one repair? That's not educating a customer. That's limiting them.

This entry in the Trade Traction Belief Series breaks down why plumbers aren't salespeople, they're educators, and why "my customer can't afford the better option" is one of the most expensive lies in service plumbing. You'll hear the questions that earn you the right to recommend, why stocking the shelf with real options uncovers your 80-20 customer, and why the best service companies aren't the best sales organizations, they're the best training organizations.

Topics discussed:

(00:00) - Why plumbers aren't salespeople, they're educators
(01:01) - The Home Depot drill aisle lesson
(01:52) - The biggest lie in service plumbing
(02:36) - The questions that earn you the right to recommend
(02:58) - How to actually stock the shelf with options
(03:29) - The 80-20 law and why it changes everything
(04:29) - Why you have to become a training company
(04:49) - What the gas station and movie theater get right
(05:41) - The real lesson: educate, don't sell
(06:09) - What changes in your company once you stock the shelf

This is part of the Trade Traction Belief Series: The core beliefs that built an eight-figure plumbing company. 

Catch a new belief every week and SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss the next one.

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique

The Podcast that helps plumbing and heating service contractors stop working for free and actually turn a profit. 

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/?skipRedirect=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprenticeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208

Thank you once again for your support and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with your peers! Stay tuned for more exciting content coming your way every week.

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👇 Take the Trade Traction Score Assessment and discover what to focus on next in your business:  https://tradetraction.scoreapp.com

If your plumbing company disappeared tomorrow, would your community even notice? Most owners can't answer that question, and it points to a gap that profit alone can't close.

This breaks down why paycheck and purpose have to work together, what happened when one company sponsored a local cycling team instead of running more ads, and why something as small as apprentices picking up litter between calls can build more trust than any marketing campaign. You'll hear why the businesses that actually last aren't just the ones making money, and why every customer who picks you is casting a vote for the kind of company they want in their neighborhood.

Topics discussed:

(00:00) - The question every owner should ask about their business
(00:41) - Why paycheck alone stops being enough
(01:12) - Purpose as the best marketing you'll ever have
(01:31) - Sponsoring a local cycling team to build trust
(02:16) - A simple community habit any plumbing company can start
(03:12) - Joining an existing movement instead of building your own
(04:02) - Why customers are investing in your company, not just buying plumbing
(04:47) - The one lesson behind building a lasting business

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique

The Podcast that helps plumbing and heating service contractors stop working for free and actually turn a profit. 

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/?skipRedirect=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprenticeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208

Thank you once again for your support and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with your peers! Stay tuned for more exciting content coming your way every week.

Send us Fan Mail

👇 Take the Trade Traction Score Assessment and discover what to focus on next in your business:  https://tradetraction.scoreapp.com

Everyone keeps saying there's a plumber shortage. There isn't. What's actually short is companies plumbers want to work for, and most owners have no idea why their best guys walk.

This breaks down the real reasons plumbers leave: two hours a day wasted in traffic, zero control over their own schedule, showing up to a call unprepared and feeling stupid in front of the customer, and no clear path forward once they've topped out. You'll hear the exact question that builds loyalty on someone's hardest day, why treating techs like adults backfires less than owners think, and why profit, not perks, is what actually keeps a crew from walking out the door.

Topics discussed:

(00:00) - Why the plumber shortage is a myth
(00:41) - Cutting drive time to keep techs from burning out
(01:23) - Giving plumbers control over their own schedule
(02:34) - The one question that builds loyalty on a hard day
(03:01) - Why feeling unprepared kills a plumber's confidence
(03:32) - Proving to your team you're actually on their side
(04:07) - Why plumbers leave when there's no path forward
(04:47) - Why profit is what makes all of it possible


This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique: https://www.podcastboutique.com

The Podcast that helps plumbing and heating service contractors stop working for free and actually turn a profit. 

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/?skipRedirect=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprenticeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208

Thank you once again for your support and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with your peers! Stay tuned for more exciting content coming your way every week.

Send us Fan Mail

👇 Take the Trade Traction Score Assessment and discover what to focus on next in your business:  https://tradetraction.scoreapp.com

Two plumbing companies can get the exact same number of calls in a week, and one still walks away with twice the profit. Dennis says it has nothing to do with sales tactics. It's about the quality of the calls you're letting in the door.

He breaks down five kinds of calls worth chasing, from jobs you lost that still paid off later to the review strategy that pre-sells your next customer before they even call. He also gets into why staying small and focused on a five mile radius beats spreading thin, and tells the story of how sponsoring a cycling team for seven years became one of the best marketing decisions he ever made.

Topics discussed:

(00:00) - The mindset shift: a call isn't a call
(01:28) - The trust peddlers eating into contractor profits
(04:34) - The Mr. Bowman story: the job he lost that turned into five
(10:22) - Why reviews pre-sell the next call
(12:56) - Why staying inside a five mile radius makes you look everywhere
(15:32) - Purpose driven marketing and the cycling team that took off
(23:47) - Your real responsibility as a business owner

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique

The Podcast that helps plumbing and heating service contractors stop working for free and actually turn a profit. 

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/?skipRedirect=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprenticeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208

Thank you once again for your support and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with your peers! Stay tuned for more exciting content coming your way every week.

Send us Fan Mail

👇 Take the Trade Traction Score Assessment and discover what to focus on next in your business:  https://tradetraction.scoreapp.com

Leon Garrett is one of the bigger influencers in the plumbing trade. He's built a real following, does beautiful work, and did $1.2 million last year. But behind the scenes, he had no pricing formula, no systems, and was guessing on every single job. One month into Trade Traction, he stopped guessing. Now he's on pace for $2 million and just had his best revenue month ever with two vans.

In this episode, Dennis and Leon sit down and talk through what changed. Leon came from commercial plumbing, was told there's no money in residential service, and spent three years figuring things out alone before reaching out. They get into how knowing your numbers changes the way you sell, why offering options beats pushing a price, and the moment a customer grabbed the iPad and picked the fourth option when Leon assumed she wouldn't even go for the bandaid fix.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - How Dennis and Leon first connected
03:21 - Kenco Plumbing and where it started
04:55 - Three years of guessing with no direction
07:00 - Why new construction felt like a Ponzi scheme
09:00 - The lie that "there's no money in service"
12:16 - What changed once the real numbers were in place
14:48 - You don't have to be a slick salesman to sell
16:17 - The Milwaukee tool analogy every plumber needs to hear
29:29 - Scoreboards and building a culture where the team wants to win

Connect with Leon Garrett:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Kenco-Plumbing-Drains-100090178871730/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kencoplumbingnh
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@Kencoplumbingnh 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kencoplumbingnh/
Website: https://kenconh.com/

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprentice
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast :https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208


This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique

The Podcast that helps plumbing and heating service contractors stop working for free and actually turn a profit. 

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/?skipRedirect=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprenticeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208

Thank you once again for your support and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with your peers! Stay tuned for more exciting content coming your way every week.

Send us Fan Mail

👇 Take the Trade Traction Score Assessment and discover what to focus on next in your business:  https://tradetraction.scoreapp.com

A customer tells you you're too expensive and you flinch. You knock a few hundred off, maybe throw in something free, and drive home wondering why there's nothing left at the end of the month. Dennis says that reaction is based on a lie, and the day he stopped believing it was the day his profits changed for good.

In this episode, Dennis walks through the one man truck exercise, a pricing breakdown every contractor should sit down and do before they quote another job. He covers everything that goes into the real number, from material shrinkage to customer satisfaction budgets to paying yourself what you're actually worth. Then he gets into what to do when the customer pushes back, and why "too expensive" and "I can't afford it" require completely different responses.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - The day he stopped arguing about price
00:43 - The one man truck exercise explained
01:08 - Material shrinkage and the costs nobody tracks
02:32 - Why you need an office person and an apprentice from day one
05:00 - Word of mouth is nice but it's not dependable
05:50 - Your customers are investors in your company
07:01 - Charge for what you want, not what you have
08:45 - Profit isn't what's left, it's what you charge for
11:06 - Build hours, efficiency, and how flat rate actually works
13:37 - When "too expensive" is a lie and what to say instead

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique

The Podcast that helps plumbing and heating service contractors stop working for free and actually turn a profit. 

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/?skipRedirect=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprenticeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208

Thank you once again for your support and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with your peers! Stay tuned for more exciting content coming your way every week.

Send us Fan Mail

👇 Take the Trade Traction Score Assessment and discover what to focus on next in your business:  https://tradetraction.scoreapp.com

Every coach tells you to raise your prices. Almost none of them show you what actually happens when you do. Dennis tripled his prices, then raised them again over several years, and the thing he was most afraid of, losing every customer, almost never happened. What did happen changed the entire company.

In this episode, Dennis walks through what forced the first price increase, why he still struggled after tripling his rates, and the gut check it took to finally charge what the calculator said. He gets into how raising prices made his whole team level up, why a ripoff is a feeling and not a number, and the math mistake that quietly ate his profit as the company grew.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - Doubled the prices, then doubled them again
00:51 - The first sign he needed to raise prices
01:33 - Getting a mentor before touching the numbers
02:14 - The calculator said quadruple, he only tripled
02:51 - What actually happened: phones kept ringing
03:57 - Why he still struggled after tripling his rates
05:27 - Your customers are investors in your company
07:17 - When prices went up, so did the standards
08:46 - Raise the bar, then charge for it
11:27 - The math mistake that killed profit at scale

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique

The Podcast that helps plumbing and heating service contractors stop working for free and actually turn a profit. 

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/?skipRedirect=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprenticeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208

Thank you once again for your support and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with your peers! Stay tuned for more exciting content coming your way every week.

Send us Fan Mail

👇 Take the Trade Traction Score Assessment and discover what to focus on next in your business:  https://tradetraction.scoreapp.com

What separates tradespeople who build wealth from those who stay stuck chasing the next paycheck?

In this episode of Trade Traction, recorded live at the SkillsUSA National Championships, we sit down with Jake Chesney to discuss the financial habits that can transform a career in the skilled trades.

From building a savings foundation and avoiding unnecessary debt to investing, entrepreneurship, sales, and personal development, Jake shares practical lessons that every plumber, HVAC technician, electrician, and contractor should hear early in their career.

Whether you're an apprentice just starting out or a seasoned contractor looking to create long-term financial freedom, this conversation is packed with timeless advice on money, mindset, and success.

00:00 Most Tradespeople Never Learn This
07:18 Stop Financing Cars
09:22 Save First. Invest Second.
13:51 Don't Start a Business Too Early
17:33 How Wealth Is Actually Built
19:31 Invest In Yourself First
21:50 Why Trades Are Winning Right Now
23:55 The Highest-Paid Skill Nobody Learns
27:47 The Confidence Shortcut
29:58 Rewire Your Mindset
32:10 The Advice That Could Change Your Life

Subscribe for more interviews, business strategies, and growth insights for the trades.

#PlumbingBusiness #SkilledTrades #FinancialFreedom #ContractorLife #TradeTraction #Entrepreneurship #SalesSkills #Investing #SkillsUSA

The Podcast that helps plumbing and heating service contractors stop working for free and actually turn a profit. 

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/?skipRedirect=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprenticeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208

Thank you once again for your support and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with your peers! Stay tuned for more exciting content coming your way every week.

Send us Fan Mail

👇 Take the Trade Traction Score Assessment and discover what to focus on next in your business:  https://tradetraction.scoreapp.com

You finished your trade apprenticeship. Someone showed you the tools, the work, what to do and what not to do. Then you filed an LLC and woke up the next morning with nobody teaching you anything. Dennis says there's a second apprenticeship most plumbing owners never hear about, and skipping it is costing them far more than they think.

In this episode, Dennis breaks down why knowing the trade and knowing how to run the business are two completely different skill sets. He shares a surfing story from Hawaii that mirrors what most owners are doing in business right now, explains why six years of dabbling at something taught him less than weeks with a coach, and gets into the real cost of going it alone. It's not just money. It's time, relationships, and marriages.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - Your apprenticeship is not over
00:45 - The business side nobody prepared you for
01:55 - The Hawaii surfing story
03:20 - Even when the economy dips, trained owners still ride
03:55 - The real problem with figuring business out alone
05:01 - What six years of dabbling taught him about coaching
07:43 - The cost no one talks about: time, relationships, marriages
08:14 - Why good tradespeople go bankrupt
09:16 - What a business apprenticeship actually looks like

The Podcast that helps plumbing and heating service contractors stop working for free and actually turn a profit. 

Connect with Dennis:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dennis-hamon/?skipRedirect=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennistheapprentice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064205912242
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dennistheapprenticeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LAHQrt3tYgfO60vasMZcW?si=9afc53dfaeba477e
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-trade-traction-podcast-with-dennis-the-apprentice/id1648541208

Thank you once again for your support and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with your peers! Stay tuned for more exciting content coming your way every week.