Weldon Long

And probably out of five mornings, at least three mornings, I would see this white Ford pickup in the parking lot that said Joe the Concrete Guy on a phone number. I used to get a kick out of it. You were talking about marketing messages and Dan Antonelli and the great work that he does. It's like, who does the work? Joe. What do they do? Concrete. It's the simplest marketing message ever.

And probably out of five mornings, at least three mornings, I would see this white Ford pickup in the parking lot that said Joe the Concrete Guy on a phone number. I used to get a kick out of it. You were talking about marketing messages and Dan Antonelli and the great work that he does. It's like, who does the work? Joe. What do they do? Concrete. It's the simplest marketing message ever.

Joe the concrete guy. So about two years after I'm living up there, I realize I need some steps poured at the end of my driveway. So I get kind of excited. I'm like, I'm going to meet Joe the concrete guy. So I get his phone number off his truck one day. I call him up. Joe comes up to my house. There's not a pretentious, pressure, sleazy bone in his body. He's a good old mountain boy.

Joe the concrete guy. So about two years after I'm living up there, I realize I need some steps poured at the end of my driveway. So I get kind of excited. I'm like, I'm going to meet Joe the concrete guy. So I get his phone number off his truck one day. I call him up. Joe comes up to my house. There's not a pretentious, pressure, sleazy bone in his body. He's a good old mountain boy.

Big old bushy head of hair, beard, T-shirt cut off from flip-flops. He was like the honey badger. He didn't give a shit, right? He wasn't trying to impress anybody. He was not some slick, pretentious sales guy. I start talking about the steps, and it turns out it's about $1,000 to get the steps done I want done. I said, that's great. I said, let's do it.

Big old bushy head of hair, beard, T-shirt cut off from flip-flops. He was like the honey badger. He didn't give a shit, right? He wasn't trying to impress anybody. He was not some slick, pretentious sales guy. I start talking about the steps, and it turns out it's about $1,000 to get the steps done I want done. I said, that's great. I said, let's do it.

He said, do you mind if I ask you a question? I'll fire away. He says, why is your motorcycle trailer parked in the dirt and the rocks next to your driveway? It was like this dry riverbed where water would run off or snow would run off. And I parked my trailer in there, a little motorcycle trailer from my son when he was young and riding dirt bikes.

He said, do you mind if I ask you a question? I'll fire away. He says, why is your motorcycle trailer parked in the dirt and the rocks next to your driveway? It was like this dry riverbed where water would run off or snow would run off. And I parked my trailer in there, a little motorcycle trailer from my son when he was young and riding dirt bikes.

And I said, well, Joe, as you can plainly see, the driveway is not wide enough for the trailer. He says, you know, when I'm here pouring your steps, I could widen your driveway. Like that, my budget went from $1,000 to $10,000. So I asked Joe after he did the paperwork. I said, Joe, where did you learn to do that technique? It was what technique? I said, you took it from 1,000 to 10,000 like that.

And I said, well, Joe, as you can plainly see, the driveway is not wide enough for the trailer. He says, you know, when I'm here pouring your steps, I could widen your driveway. Like that, my budget went from $1,000 to $10,000. So I asked Joe after he did the paperwork. I said, Joe, where did you learn to do that technique? It was what technique? I said, you took it from 1,000 to 10,000 like that.

He said, with all due respect, it's not technique. It's common sense. I said, I know it's common sense, but it's not common practice. I deal with guys all the time in the service industry that don't do it. And then he said the magic words to me. He said, what does it say on my truck out there? I laughed. I said, it says Joe the concrete guy on your phone number. He says, yeah, Joe the concrete guy.

He said, with all due respect, it's not technique. It's common sense. I said, I know it's common sense, but it's not common practice. I deal with guys all the time in the service industry that don't do it. And then he said the magic words to me. He said, what does it say on my truck out there? I laughed. I said, it says Joe the concrete guy on your phone number. He says, yeah, Joe the concrete guy.

It doesn't say Joe the plumbing, HVAC, window, roofing, landscaping guy. All I do is concrete. I'm a specialist. Yeah. And then he said this, he said, I learned a long time ago, if I'm going to feed my family and pay my bills, I have a very simple job. Every time I walk onto a piece of property, I look for every problem that concrete can solve.

It doesn't say Joe the plumbing, HVAC, window, roofing, landscaping guy. All I do is concrete. I'm a specialist. Yeah. And then he said this, he said, I learned a long time ago, if I'm going to feed my family and pay my bills, I have a very simple job. Every time I walk onto a piece of property, I look for every problem that concrete can solve.

And I tell the homeowners, there's your high pressure sales process, folks. There's nothing high pressure about it. But the truth is when guys say sales is high pressure, they don't want to do it. They think it's whatever. They just don't want to do the work.

And I tell the homeowners, there's your high pressure sales process, folks. There's nothing high pressure about it. But the truth is when guys say sales is high pressure, they don't want to do it. They think it's whatever. They just don't want to do the work.

Listen, how many times do you see in the garage door business, in the HVAC business, a guy walks in, fixes the basic problem, and leaves and never even looks around for other problems he can solve? You're back there the next year. Yeah.

Listen, how many times do you see in the garage door business, in the HVAC business, a guy walks in, fixes the basic problem, and leaves and never even looks around for other problems he can solve? You're back there the next year. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.