PROFESSIONAL BUILDERS SECRETS

#1 International Best-Selling Book

How Custom Home Builders Can Generate More Leads And More Sales At Higher Margins, While Delivering A Better Experience For Their Clients

We Wrote The Book On Running A Professional Building Company...

What People are saying...

“I’ve been advising the construction industry for many years and often thought why there hasn’t been a book containing all the tricks of the trade from a business standpoint, until now. This is a great volume of practical advice that makes total sense to apply immediately, for your own benefit. I’m extremely impressed and will share this far and wide with my network. Especially the professional builders!”

– Jonathan MacDonald, award-winning bestselling author of ‘Powered by Change’ and one of the most in-demand keynote speakers in the world on the topics of change, digital transformation, mindset, innovation, strategy and the future.

What is professional builders Secrets?

It is NOT just another generic business coaching book on how to scale your generic business.

It is NOT just about generating leads and signing more contracts – yet these secrets will help you to do that and exponentially MORE.

It is NOT about working less hours in your business – yet the things you will learn in this book can help you systemise your building company so it can operate without you MORE than you could ever imagine.

PROFESSIONAL BUILDERS SECRETS IS A SHORTCUT.

In this book, we share the systems that successful builders across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States are implementing into their building companies.

These professional builders are able to generate more leads and close more sales at higher margins, while also improving the client experience.

Inside we offer the actual systems and processes that we created after working with hundreds of builders in dozens of niches and perfecting what we know works.

We offer access to all the processes that we use to make our builders the most sought-after experts in the industry.

who is this book for?

This book is for you if:

You’re the owner of a residential home building company.
You’ve been told that it’s not possible to add 33 percent profit to your materials and labor.
You’re simply working for wages, with very little in the way of net profit left over at the end of the year.
You’ve been told, either by other builders or by consumers, that you can’t charge more because you simply won’t win the job.
This book will show you why the things you’ve likely been told are simply not true. It will also include examples of builders who have implemented these strategies and changed their building companies, as well as their lives.

What People Are Saying About Professional Builders Secrets On...

This book is a must read for anyone thinking about starting a building company or an existing builder wanting to scale the business and generate sustainable growth in revenue and profitability. This is an A to Z reference guide to running a successful building company; the book covers everything from positioning your business in the market, building your brand, identifying your strengths, tying unique selling points to customer value to create conversations with prospective clients around the value you offer rather than price, building effective marketing strategies, implementing a methodical sales process for the management and conversion of leads, understanding how to price jobs for success, leveraging the rules of demand and supply to maximize return on investment, learning how to stagger jobs to optimize utilization of resources and drive successful outcomes, through to anticipating and avoiding the pitfalls that can result in negative growth and potential failure The authors also cover the business terminology and industry benchmarks builders need to be familiar with, explain modern marketing techniques in an easily digestible way, and provide a compilation of insights into running a building business based on personal experience and real life examples of builders who they have encountered or who have consumed their services. The booked is also liberally sprinkled with links to assets on the APB website that can be downloaded and consumed at no charge. Having been a business owner and senior executive involved in the marketing, selling and distribution of quality products and services on a global scale, I would highly recommend this book to any aspiring business owner or existing builder with ambitions to grow his or her business in a proven and sustainable way

Loved this book! It helped me understand the importance of implementing strategies like marketing to uplift and sustain any business. This book was very positive in tone with examples that I could understand. For instance, to demonstrate how important it is to choose the correct client, they used an example of a puzzle… No matter how hard you try, a piece will not fit where it's not supposed to. You will end up wasting a lot of time on people who will not sign your contract. After this example, the book lists questions that you can ask potential clients like “What encouraged you to reach out?” or “Have you settled on your land?”. The authors inspires you to ask the right questions so you can disqualify or quality applicants. They say, 80 percent of a company’s problems come from only 20 percent of the clients. This got me thinking about being selected with any potential client.

If you are a professional builder and you are looking to build your business, look no further than this book. It is jam-packed from start to finish with examples, scripts, keys and secrets. And it is clearly coming from people who have built a business themselves. It's a no-platitude, no-frills deep dive into exactly how to build your business. From marketing to sales to closing to pricing to dealing with objections, this book is chock-full of exactly what the title says--professional builders secrets. Well done, Team Stephens.

I have followed Russ and Sky for years now and can honestly say that this is the most comprehensive guide of the things they preach and teach. It puts every idea in a linear format that is easy to follow and implement. They even provide the tools to work it out. It works and my business has grown as a result of these principles. Even after working on these very items for years, seeing the principles laid out in such a concise format has reminded me of a few items I can go back, work on and continue to review. You not regret buying this book for it’s information but you will LOVE it if you take the time to implement the steps laid out because it works.

I loved the book and it is well written, very positive and offered a perspective on what builders are faced with when trying to grow their business. It takes complicated marketing and business strategies and simplifies it in with easy to understand concepts that can be implemented immediately for immediate results. This is a must read for a Custom Builder that wants to increase profits and grow. Great Job Russ Stephens and the Association of Professional Builder team.

This book has been incredibly insightful to our business. This helped us to not only see where we can improve but how to implement and take action. Highly recommend this book no matter how many years you have been in business. I would even go as far to say if you are in the business - you can't survive without it!

This book is great for custom builders. It delivers practical advice, real world examples and situations and provides the reader with not just the "what" but the "why". Easy to read. Has processes my clients can implement immediately to run a better more profitable business, and especially putting certain systems (sets of processes) in place.

This book has things a custom builder can implement immediately, and the "why" for each one is explained. It is written in a conversational style so it is easy to understand and advice is in the order of a day in the life of a builder. Eye opening!

Whether you are a small operation or a mid-size contractor, the building industry comes with its unique challenges. More often than not, price is considered ‘king’ by both builder and client. Professional Builders Secrets unashamedly puts the disconnect between clients’ decision-making and the industry‘s assumptions firmly on the table and at the centre of its premise. Russ and Sky Stephens articulately explore and address the issues of finding the balance between the best price for the job rather than simply the lowest; the power in identifying and doubling down on your niche market, over taking a generalist approach; putting your business head and shoulders above competitors in a crowded market place, and implementing systems to maximise lead generation and conversion. Perhaps most importantly of all, Professional Builders Secrets isn’t a hands-off approach to residential home building. It’s packed with examples and implementable tools for your tool belt. From developing customer value proposition that supports your business strategy; marketing and sales generation techniques informed by your lag and lead indicators; smart pricing strategies; or turning what you learn into KPIs and building the your plan for future growth, Professional Builders Secret is essential reading. Tony Clarke, London, England

I've been advising the construction industry for many years and often thought why there hasn't been a book containing all the tricks of the trade from a business standpoint. Until now. This is a great volume of practical advice that makes total sense to apply immediately, for your own benefit. I'm extremely impressed and will share this far and wide with my network. Especially the professional builders!

If you are a builder looking to vastly improve your business, then this book is for you. The authors walk you through numerous situations and demonstrate very clearly how to go from securing the initial meeting with a client to the point where the deal is clinched and most importantly without wasting precious time. This book will become the builders’ bible. It will also be invaluable to anyone with their own business.

Before I read the book I was always struggling to get my leads , sales and margins right but now moving forward I’m going to try this new way , especially the leads as I’ve never been a salesman so thanks again for the tips …

This book is full of very useful tips and ideas within the world of building, however it is so well written the strategies could be applied throughout many other businesses.

I have known Russ and Sky for a number of years and have watched them produce exceptional quality content in a number of different ways. This book brings all of that together, and then takes it up another few notches. Well written, data based, real world advice for builders who want to be more professional, deliver a better experience, and make a lot more money.

This is one of the best Business books written for builders- well written with great examples Lots of samples and forms making the processes easy to understand and ready to implement- I highly recommend this!

This book was incredibly helpful to my business. Never have I been able to pick up something to catered to my unique needs as a builder. Incredibly well written and invaluable!

Great book written by a great team.

I have been a member of APB for several years, and yet this book has been the BEST investment! It is well written, and gives an overview of the process that is needed in order to expand.

This is a great resource to re-think and fine tune your Custom Builder business. I especially like the marketing strategies outlined here.

This book offers excellent insight and the necessary strategies to grow and enhance your business. Whether you're a builder or a business owner, you can reap the many benefits this book has to offer. I especially loved reading about the importance of content strategies and the helpful tips that were provided.

Well written introduction into the work and curriculum APB has developed. Highly recommend.

This book is a great read with a lot of practical knowledge for Builders!

As a business valuer and a business broker I am amazed at how competent house builders become absolutely overwhelmed when confronting anything other than actual construction issues. For the many tradies who believe that if they work very hard, and if they don't become insolvent or die on the job, who look forward to one day, simply packing the darned tools up and retiring; One thing my Dad (who was in housebuilding) taught me is that "You can't run a successful company with a hammer in your hand". So forget about what you think you know about the house building industry and start today by thinking about being in the business of getting clients and satisfying those clients... And if there is one road-map you need on your desk to help you on this journey - it's this one.

Every custom home builder needs to read this. The detailed insights on how to systemise a building company go far beyond what can be taught by a generic business coach. Reading the success stories from real custom home builders around the world puts into perspective how by implementing small changes over time, a building company can be transformed into a professional, systemised business. I found chapter 4 on qualifying leads particularly interesting, I never knew how important it was to nail the discovery stage and questions when qualifying leads. This book is an important resource for builders who truly want to grow their business.

A great book that has helped us to streamline our qualifying process. No longer do we feel as though we need to build for anyone and everyone. We have determined who our ideal client is and through our clear qualifying and discovery process we are able to ensure that we are not dealing with price checkers and time wasters. We have also learned the importance of nurturing and educating our prospects to ensure that we are seen as market leaders in the residential construction industry and through our excellent communication and provision of detailed documentation we are their builder of choice, no longer based on price.

As an accountant, a lot of books can be filled with a bit too much fluff - and not enough on the business elements, or the numbers. Professional Builders Secrets offers well thought out chapters, and also includes some context around KPI's, pricing jobs and making sure the builders make money (not just grow for the sake of growing!). With construction being competitive at the moment, but also dangerous with uncertainty over materials supply and pricing, builders need to make sure they have these bases covered. Well done Russ & Sky!

This book is the first of it's kind. I've read many books that offer generic advice but that's what sets Professional Builder Secrets apart. As I read each chapter It became clear that the authors have extensive experience in the industry and through their own trial and error, know exactly what works. This book uncovers highly valuable secrets that will actually allow builders to transform their building company into a professional, profitable business.

This book is full of considered, sensible and actionable ideas. One of the most interesting things I found was how it challenged me to shift my mindset and think about new approaches to often encountered stumbling blocks and challenges when it comes to the business side of building. The writing style is simple and there are nice anecdotes and stories that make it easy and pleasurable reading.

I love how the author breaks important business principles down and makes them simple to understand and use. I've read other books on business, but this one really relates all the concepts to how to use it in a building company. I read it in one sitting - I couldn't put it down. I wish I had read this 10 years ago.

Great book by a person who knows how to make your company systemized and professional. Alot of ideas on how to take your company from an average one, to a professional, well organized operation. Worth every penny. Thanks Russ

This book is a must read for all builders. Clear, concise and easy to read. As an APB member for the past 3 years I wasn’t sure how much I’d get out of the book... how wrong I was!! I have been able to implement changes immediately into our business. Already looking forward to reading again.

Everyone working in the construction sector shall read this book. It will give you great tips that you can apply to your business to be more successful. I highly recommend it.

There is so much good stuff in here. Really gives a great insight into professionalising your building company.

This is a must-read if you own a building company. The actionable insight is invaluable

Very informative.

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