Over the past 15 years, our industry has faced several challenges – some good ones and some tough ones. During the tax credits years of 2007 and 2008, production had a hard time keeping up with demand. Homeowners wanted to take advantage of their year-end tax credit before it expired. We have also gone through the ‘Great Recession.’ But we have also had some positive challenges as well – the most recent being, I have so much business, how am I going to get it manufactured or how am I going to get it installed?

My point is this: if it isn’t this, it is going to be something else. How we tackle these challenges really defines whether we are going to be successful overcoming them or not. There are plenty of folks that can focus on their plights and complain about them. But the ones that focus on solving the issues and focus on the coming up with a solutions are the ones you want to partner with – whether you are a homeowner or a window dealer.

Do not get me wrong, coming up with the solutions are not easy and often, the answer is a bad solution or worse solution – meaning the solution is going to have tough consequences regardless. But a decision or solution needs to be made, one of the worst things you can do is not do anything – and keep that challenge in limbo. It isn’t going to go away and frankly by doing nothing, it makes solving the challenge even more difficult.

I have always had to do something like this in my thought process:

1. Write down the challenge – I know what it is in my head but writing it down seems to help me focus on it;
2. Write down my possible solutions – whether they are good, bad, far-fetched, get them ‘on paper’ – you can cross out the ones that are not workable/feasible;
3. Work through what the potential outcomes will be with the solutions – and again, get those on paper;
4. Make a decision; and
5. Keep track of the outcome so you can improve on the next crisis that comes up.

You may not always have the perfect answer or create the desired outcome but you made your decision – stick with it, follow it through and ‘track it to the finish.’ This will make you better in the future.

Great Selling!

Ty