Extreme Business Makeover

Talk about a business makeover! We were a remodeling company eleven years in the making, fraught with frustration when it came to dealing with clients and giving away valuable hours for free estimates. Our contracting business lacked systems and standard operating procedures. We knew there had to be a better way.

Meeting Joe Dellanno at a JLC convention was just what the doctor ordered for all of us at All Star Construction. We decided rather quickly that my Design/Build Project was the medicine we needed. After training with Mr. Dellanno we have a clear sense of how to operate a successful Design/Build remodeling company and it shows in our daily operations.

We truly are enjoying this way of making a living, employees and owners alike. Thanks Joe, we appreciate your delightfully positive approach to coaching Design/Build and the enthusiastic way we handle client projects these days is to your credit.

Terry Hulm

President

AllStar Construction

Rapid, South Dakota

Today, J. L. Ward Construction, Inc. Design and Remodeling Solutions is an upwardly mobile Professional Design Build firm. Our primary goal is to provide Design and Remodeling solutions to homeowners North of Boston. It has been our vision to provide a turn-key approach to residential remodeling where we are able to take the homeowners ideas from design concept, through design presentation, production and completion in concert with a reasonably established investment budget. We have long recognized the need for this turn-key service but were struggling with the process to market our services and repeat our successes with clients who were open to our approach to residential remodeling. We are finally accomplishing our goal in this vision through our alliance with my Design/ Build Project with Design Solutions, Inc. and Joe Dellanno.

Jeff Ward, owner and president of J. L. Ward Construction met Joe Dellanno several years back at a NARI conference. Joe was moving in the direction of providing professional builders with a Design Build business management system that offered a closed loop process to take a project and move it from client idea, to design and through to completion in an efficient manner that would grow their business. Joe was looking for builders to partner with who were interested in working together to utilize his system as a means of becoming more productive and profitable in the residential remodeling field. In talking with Joe, we found his process had many similar steps that we utilized individually on our own, but we didn’t coordinate them to work together in a sequence that made it easy to repeat as a process, and we didn’t have an adequate design function.

We agreed to partner with Design Solutions, Inc. and began training sessions in October of 2003 for the gatekeeper, sales and production modules. Within the first year, we noticed an improvement in our ability to screen and select clients who were in tune with the value of our approach to Design Build Remodeling. We have incorporated the system to streamline each facet of our business from client introduction, marketing, sales, design and production. We have gone from a 45% sell from first client meeting to 85% with our kid glove approach to listening, communicating and providing our clients with the professional and efficient and affordable solutions to their remodeling requirements. The desktop communication technology of my Design Build Project Web Services really appeals to today’s computer savvy clients!

Finally, we have incorporated Design Solutions, Inc. as our primary source for design services. With DSI – our design phase utilizes cutting edge technology with hands-on communication, giving our clients the tools they need to create and view their project concept in 3 dimensional virtual real-time. We have increased our sales bookings 35% from 2004 by marketing to design build clients. In 2004 our design build clients represented 35% of our sales. In 2005, 75% of our sales are design build clients. We are excited about our success and believe that “Project” has been a primary factor!

Thank you,
Jeff Ward
President

Dear Mason,

By the end of my Design/Build Coach seminar I was thinking…this was a really worthwhile. And also, this was generous and very kind of you to invite me. Going back over my notes it struck me that the integrity of this model is such a breath of fresh air. Thank you so much for graciously having me attend the seminar, it was much appreciated.

Yours sincerely,
Esther den Breeny

Dear Joe,
I just wanted to thank you for all of the help with my own position and with our entire team hear at Teakwood. Self-discovery is an excellent way to approach learning....and in retrospect I am a little surprised that I was so close minded to the entire idea. It has helped with my outlook on many issues and has carried over to many other areas of my personal life as well.
Please feel free to use me as a reference for any future "hard case" Production Managers as well. I would be more than happy to talk up your services to anyone who is a skeptic.
Thank you,
Chris Levitas - Production Manager

Dear Joe,
Thank you so much for taking the time away from your family and daily activities there at home to come help us out. Obviously your efforts were invaluable to us. I only wished, as always, more time could be spent. The skills and techniques you have once again left us are almost overwhelming. Last week we were cave men. This week we are cave men with cordless drills, someone has shown us for the first time. Hopefully before too long we can have the whole cordless tool collection, and know what to do with them.
Everyone here appreciated mostly, the fact we have been shown how to fish. That’s what makes you so effective as a coach.
Thank you,
Todd Wirth
All Star Construction

This is a testimonial to the quality and value of the business coaching that I have received from Joe Dellanno.
In the two years I have worked with Joe I have learned new ways to conduct business that I never thought before were possible. I have learned how to control my company’s future. Brought forward systems that help manage clients that before were managing me. The systems are helping with personal and production. I have received positive feedback from employees and subcontractors and venders about the way we are conducting our operation. He has helped me bring my company up to a level that is right for me. A designed growth and profit that fits our style and expectations. He has given me a new vision in looking at the growth and prosperity of my company. What more can I say? It works. Listen and learn.

You will be the wiser!

Thank you,
John M. Bryson ,CLC

Homeowner's testimonial to Laure Francis, Gatekeeper, Sales & Designer.
Dear Laure,
Thank you for your time and consultation over the phone. I am glad we had the opportunity to meet over the phone to discuss our project.
After further deliberations, I have decided we are not a match. It is nothing personal, but just not in our price range and timeline. I will be glad to refer you because of your effort and professionalism. Once again thanks for the information and your time.


The Merritt's

Coleen,
It has been a delight to this point dealing with Penn Contractors. You have been polite, professional and a pleasure to speak with. I was thrilled to receive the meeting agenda. I have spent the last 3 months seeking contractors and remodelers for our project. I have set up appointments that have been cancelled or worse yet no shows. I have yet to have a contractor take the time to establish an agenda. It is wonderful to see that Penn Contractors takes each step of this project seriously. You have renewed my enthusiasm in this project.
You captured our conversation quite thoroughly; however I did make a few additional notes on the agenda. Thank you again for your time and interest in our remodeling project. I look forward to my meeting with Bruce.
Sincerely,
Theresa

A comment from a user of my Design/Build Project www.mydesignbuildproject.com
Dear my Design/Build Project,
The web site is such an awesome tool. The ease of operation is not only simple for the contractor, but it is even more friendly for the client. The site anticipates almost every scenario you may come across. The bottom line is that the site is exciting and enjoyable. If the customers emotions are high; their perception of you is also high, and this is the place to get them there.
Thanks again
Great Tool.
Aaron

A comment from a user of my Design/Build Project www.mydesignbuildproject.com

Dear my Design/Build Coach,
When my Design/Build Project was first introduced to Penn Contractors I knew from the start that it was something very unique, useful and valuable to our company. I see so much potential for setting us apart and above all the other construction companies in our area by using project. We have only been using project for a few months but in those few months every day I learn a new way to use project, just in communicating with in our own company to be sure all information is transferred this tool is becoming more and more valuable to us. Our potential customers and current clients are using project daily and with every new client we are seeing bigger and better results because we can communicate with them like no one else can!
I truly am looking forward to using project to its fullest capabilities and seeing Penn Contractors rise to the top because of it. Thank you for creating such a useful and needed tool for our industry!

Thanks,
Coleen Lieberman
Penn Contractors, Inc.

Dear my Design/Build Project,
I learned that by using the Design/Build process, both cost and design can be controlled, where the Bid/Build process is inherently only going to be able to control the design (while the cost is really a “Best Guess.”)
My OH WOW IS: I appreciate the story of Dave’s partner landing the $25,000 design agreement. In other words this really works!
WOW-There’s 15 MORE weeks of this!
Thanks
Tim

Dear my Design/Build Project,
Initially, I didn’t expect a lot, I thought it was another fly-by-night scam. As I started using the system, I found it was a great tool for this type of business; it brought them into the 21st Century. After using it for awhile I see the vision of the creators and hope to see the system evolve into a great tool for any business. Where do I see my company in the future use my Design/Build Project?


The company will be ahead of any company who doesn’t use the system. The ability to get instant information to and from the homeowner, the vendors and the subs is probably the biggest asset. No waiting, If the homeowner wants a change, as soon as you get the info from the designer, you can post it, the vendor can get the drawings and make changes to their bid or order, the home owner see the changes as soon as they are done.


Thanks,
Carlos

Dear my Design/Build Project,
Eureka…finally we have a place to sort and store all of our information so that it can easily be shared with the appropriate people. It’s bringing a level of organization that was lacking in our business. The before pictures of peoples remodeling issues, the “chalk outline” as one client put it, have been very helpful with motivating potential clients to use Hudson Valley Preservation to solve their remodeling problems.


Thank you,
Laura

Dear my Design/Build Project,
Maybe I am just too excited about my Design/Build Project. I have seen incredible response from homeowners especially. They are starting to understand how this communication tool will separate our business from other remodelers. Nobody in our area will have the communication tool that HVP has. We have only been using my Design/Build Project for a short time, but we have 35 projects (some old, some new) listed as folders. I would love to tell people some of the stories I can tell after asking homeowners "What do you think of this?"


Thanks,
Mason

Dear my Design/Build Project,
It seemed like a great opportunity to try something that may put Benson Builders, Inc. one step ahead of the other contractors in our area. It also seems to be something that would benefit the all of our systems in the area of communication.

When I was told about my Design/Build Project, it sounded like a great idea, but a lot of work. When I was introduced to the actual site and walked through it myself things seemed a lot more exciting. Then I gave access to my prospects so they could tour it. They loved it!! Being able to look at plans and pictures 24/7 was great! They can share their projects with friends and family at any time. Which means future business for us!  The thought of having to do extra work soon passed after hearing the excitement from my clients. I also realized the work would just have to be done once and it would get easier each time.

Overall, my experience over the last month has been very good with  my Design/Build Project. The customer service has been outstanding! They have been quick to answer questions and develop the site further during this last month.

The only problem I have encountered is trying to keep up with my clients and having new information posted each time they visit the site!! This will be an essential tool in developing our standard operating procedures and being one step ahead of our competition!!

Thanks for everything!

Laure Francis
Benson Builders, Inc.
Virginia Beach, VA