In this first installment of a series on achieving sales success for PRO painting contractors, Archie Bartel grabs a figurative brush and puts on his bibs to offer sales tips and guidelines for contractors trying to make the best first impression with their market. Bartel, Sherwin-Williams Director of Sales Force Effectiveness, is the former Marketing Director for Residential Repaint at Sherwin-Williams. This article will examine the listening skills necessary to build customer trust and the importance of optics in your first customer interactions. Continue reading Art of the Sale: Introduction and the First Steps
Category Archives: ONLINE EXTRAS
NOW is the Time to Maximize Efficiency with a New Sprayer
“Spring wasn’t good. Half what we billed last spring, probably less. Now? We’re busy, and my crew is working long days. But I’m trying to make up what we lost in spring and maybe get work that is a little bigger than what we normally take on. We need to increase our revenue by year’s end. A new sprayer? Now? Doesn’t seem to make sense…” Continue reading NOW is the Time to Maximize Efficiency with a New Sprayer
What is the Best Paint for an Exterior Fiberglass Door?
PPC and Sherwin-Williams want to help pros work smarter. We recently gave painters a chance to ask product and application questions on the SWPaintPros Facebook. In this article, Rick Watson, Sherwin-Williams Director of Product Information & Technical Services, answers one pro’s question about exterior doors. Continue reading What is the Best Paint for an Exterior Fiberglass Door?
Pro-to-Pro Contractor Podcast
Four painting contractors discuss current realities in the painting world and the challenges of moving their business forward in an exclusive pro-to-pro contractor forum hosted by Professional Painting Contractor Magazine. Continue reading Pro-to-Pro Contractor Podcast
Ready to Meet the Demand? Five Tips for Better Recruitment and Retention in a COVID-19 World
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted painting businesses in many different ways.
“One thing is true across the board, though,” says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Every business will face tremendous challenges as our nation begins the path to recovery, while still facing the public health threat of the virus.”
For many painting companies, one of the main challenges continues to be finding good workers. For some insights, PPC sat down with Tim Kenney, owner of W.T. Kenney Co., Inc., a fourth-generation professional painting contracting business based in Arlington, Massachusetts. Continue reading Ready to Meet the Demand? Five Tips for Better Recruitment and Retention in a COVID-19 World
Thumbs Up for New PRO App Project Bids Tool
Painting contractors have piloted the new Project Bids Tool — now available via the Sherwin-Williams PRO App — and according to early reviews, PROs are pleased with much of what they’ve seen. Continue reading Thumbs Up for New PRO App Project Bids Tool
Premium Product for Premium Customers: A New Exterior Paint with Self-Cleaning Technology
Need an excellent-looking, long-lasting premium finish for customers that require best-in-class performance? New Emerald® Rain Refresh™ Exterior Acrylic Latex with Self-Cleaning Technology is an innovative coating that will help you stand out from the competition. Continue reading Premium Product for Premium Customers: A New Exterior Paint with Self-Cleaning Technology
Extend Your Painting Season with FlexTemp™ Exterior Acrylic Latex
Working in a hot climate? Now you can beat the heat as well as the cold with new FlexTemp™ Exterior Latex with Extreme Temp Technology™ that allows you to paint in temperature extremes from 35°F to 120°F without changing application techniques or adding extenders. Continue reading Extend Your Painting Season with FlexTemp™ Exterior Acrylic Latex
How One Paint Pro Uses His Sherwin-Williams® PRO Account to Save Time, Improve Efficiency
As a professional painting contractor, you’re looking for any way you can find to make your day easier and give you a leg up on the competition. Continue reading How One Paint Pro Uses His Sherwin-Williams® PRO Account to Save Time, Improve Efficiency
Equipment to Optimize Your Sanitizing Capabilities
Frequent and thorough disinfection has become a must in public spaces. This no longer applies to just high-touch areas, but often includes almost every exposed surface. Managing sanitization protocols on such a large scale can be a strain on time and resources. Plus, this spotlight on sanitizing won’t necessarily disappear once the COVID-19 crisis is over. How do you both meet the needs of today and invest in the opportunities of tomorrow? Continue reading Equipment to Optimize Your Sanitizing Capabilities
Cash Is King: Ideas to Help Generate and Manage Your Cash Flow
Differing realities remain depending on your particular geography, but if you’re like many North American painting contractors, the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel appears to be brighter, at least in terms of how it has affected your business. Continue reading Cash Is King: Ideas to Help Generate and Manage Your Cash Flow
Smart, Practical Marketing Ideas to Generate More Business Right Now
What kind of marketing should pro painters be doing now? PPC sat down with Al Pirozzoli, a marketing consultant who has helped numerous painting companies and other trades grow their business through good times and bad. Here is Al’s advice, along with some ideas designed to get you more business now.
Continue reading Smart, Practical Marketing Ideas to Generate More Business Right Now
Building Customer Confidence for Interior Work
Successfully providing on-site service during the COVID-19 crisis requires both increased communications and special precautions. Continue reading Building Customer Confidence for Interior Work
‘You Are Not Alone’: PCA Offers Education and Support for Paint Pros During COVID-19
“You are not alone.”
That is the message members say they’re getting from the Painting Contractors Association (PCA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continue reading ‘You Are Not Alone’: PCA Offers Education and Support for Paint Pros During COVID-19
Keep Your Business Moving With a Focus on Exteriors
Exterior painting season is here. Now is a great time to promote services that can be completed outside the home for a fresh look and increased curb appeal. Continue reading Keep Your Business Moving With a Focus on Exteriors
Need to Decompress? These Stress Relievers
Can Help
Stress levels may be high these days in the paint contracting world, and if you’re among those struggling to deal with the pressure, you’re not alone. A recent survey conducted by the University of Chicago for the Data Foundation found that roughly two-thirds of Americans say they felt nervous, depressed, lonely or hopeless on at least one of their last seven days.
Continue reading Need to Decompress? These Stress Relievers
Can Help
What We’re Doing to Stay Safe and Productive During COVID-19, with Colorado Painter Dave Barry
Dave Barry started painting at age 14 in Boston. He moved to the mountains of Colorado in 1996 and started his own company, Barry Painting Inc. Over the years he has painted everything from small homes to some of the most exclusive residential properties in the Boulder, Colorado area, as well as commercial and multifamily properties. He recently started a new business called Rocky Mountain Finishing LLC, with a spray booth that helps him expand into finishing cabinets, metal, furniture, trim packs, doors and more. PPC editor Mike Starling caught up with Dave to ask him about the challenges he’s facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading What We’re Doing to Stay Safe and Productive During COVID-19, with Colorado Painter Dave Barry
Are You an Exterior Expert? Here’s How to Raise Your Game
The time is right for exterior painting, especially with interior painting demand down due to COVID-19. If you’re not an exterior specialist, this article will give you the building blocks to elevate your outdoor painting game, from proper surface prep and when to prime to topcoat sheen, applicator options and cleanup.
Continue reading Are You an Exterior Expert? Here’s How to Raise Your Game
PPP Loan Window Extended to August 8
The loan application deadline for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that was created to help small businesses survive the economic downturn due to COVID-19 has been extended until August 8, 2020. The extension was signed into law over the July 4th weekend. Continue reading PPP Loan Window Extended to August 8
7 Things to Do Right Now to Fuel Future Growth
The COVID-19 crisis has hit painting contractors in a variety of ways, and many of you likely have more time on your hands than you did before.
So what to do? Here are some ideas to help maximize your future productivity and ensure you hit the ground running when you’re able to work at full throttle again.
Continue reading 7 Things to Do Right Now to Fuel Future Growth