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Real Estate Podcast
Thursday, June 16, 2022

Taking the ‘CON’ out of Contractor

Taking the “Con” out of Contractor with Martin Pettigrew

Easy to overlook but contractors are essential players in the construction industry. Most of them do the risky and strenuous jobs that no one wants to do. Nevertheless, the general perception of contractors is still surrounded by negative connotations: unreliable and deceitful. Despite their craftsmanship, they are still hounded by the same stereotypes created throughout the years. But this shouldn’t always be the case. Contractors can be just as hardworking and trustworthy as any other individual or business.

In this fourth episode of The Process, special guest, Martin Pettigrew from Monarch Roofing, shed some light on the misconceptions in the industry and how he positioned himself as a reliable and committed contractor.

Discover new ways to navigate the business and put emphasis on quality and accountability so we can finally remove the ‘con’ out of “contractor” and build better relationships with clients.

Get to know Martin Pettigrew

Martin Pettigrew is a French Canadian entrepreneur from Quebec who grew up playing hockey and golf. His success story kicked off when he was awarded a scholarship to play golf in college at St. Francis. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Saint Francis University and now lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Martin began his career working at Pine Lakes, parking carts and working inside the pro shop, only earning a minimum wage that barely covers his bills. His life took an upward turn when he started spending time conversing with contractors on site and he realized the opportunities to help people in that line of business.

Martin is now the owner of Monarch Roofing, REEVA IMPACT, and the author of “The Roofing Machine”, a book that introduces a business framework that promotes utilizing each employee’s strengths and optimizing their work environment.

Overcoming the Bad Rap in the Contracting Industry

We are now in a cutthroat world where competition is at an all-time high, especially in the contracting industry. Almost everyone fights to be at the top as they want to make sure their business is successful. Some even cheat their way to the top just to get ahead of everyone else; leaving their work unfinished or providing poor quality services. This creates a laundry list of homeowner complaints, most of which are based on poor workmanship and shoddy materials used.

There is certainly a slew of grievances out there, and as the economy progresses, people now have higher demands for quality, as they should. Fortunately, there are still lots of reputable contracting companies out there; ones that will leave you in awe.

Managing a client’s expectations can be a challenge in such an industry, but it’s one of the things that Martin has overcome by making sure that he overpromises and over-delivers. The traditional job sector might look down on his trade but this only adds fuel to the fire for him to prove himself and ensure that he’s going above and beyond in achieving A1 customer satisfaction. He also trusts in the capabilities of his employees to deliver quality projects, hence creating a benign environment among peers and clients.

Martin improved productivity and the lives of those involved in his business by creating a good rapport with customers and making decisions that are beneficial for all— akin to what Preston had said in an earlier podcast; the more he focused on making an impact on people, the more he gained wealth.

The contracting world is amorphous and ever-changing but contractors should still see it as a business that exists to help people. By treating the contracting process as more of a consultative method than a set of rules you ought to follow, you’ll build better relationships with your clients and retain those relationships better in the long term.

As contractors, your reputation will often determine your success. At the end of the day, it all boils down to one key element: trust. Clients should be able to trust you to finish the project, provide quality service, and offer utter transparency. They will admire you for your knowledge and skill set, but they’ll value you even more for your integrity and honesty.

Be familiar with your business, your niche, and the potential problems you may be able to solve, and the rest will fall into place.

As Martin would say, our clients deserve the Best. That is something we should all strive for in business, ensuring our clients best interests are always our focus. It would be hard to fail in business if this was always what we were striving for.

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