Thinking Big!

Paul Burns

When I think back about it, everything I've ever thought about has come true. How about the rest of you?

If I think we will average 10 leads per week, we come real close to that number. If I think I'll close 40%, I close 40%, or real close to it. If I think of how much I will or need to earn any given year, that is how much I'll earn, or real close to it.

If this theory is true and I'm pretty sure it is, why don't I think much bigger? I think I will from now on. Nah, just different.

I think that people that think big, earn big. People brought up in affluent households automatically think big because they were brought up that way. It's natural for them to think big. The rest of us have to train ourselves to think big.

What do you all think? Think about it......please.

Don't you think that if you wanted to have 100 painters working for you within 10-15 years, and earning 1-2 million per year, that you could do it?

I think the only thing that stops any of us from getting exactly what we want is ourselves. So maybe we should get out of our own way and think about it.

All through history individuals have done amazing things, even when everyone else told them that "it" couldn't be done.

But those individuals "thought" it could be done, and they did it.

So, I think we all think ourselves into whatever position we think ourselves into.

Something to think about anyway. LOL

Paul
p.s. I owe Mark Havens a Thank You for referring the book "Think and Grow Rich" that got me to think MORE in the right directions.

pps. "Rich" can refer to being rich with friends, rich with health, rich with being the best contractor, almost ANYTHING not just money, contrary to some beliefs.

Brushslingers

Hehe, Paul.. don't take this wrong please, but *I* think, you are one hella salesman.

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Benn

KellyPainting

Paul, who are you? If you don't mind me asking?
are you a modivational speaker? It sounds like you've helped a few
people... Do you sell something? are you a painter? Do you have a
website?

Paul Burns

We have often used a really good (for us) marketing system with fliers and some sort of answering machine. You can also use it in newspaper ads and such. Just remember that is more of a shotgun approach, and fliers or mailers can be targeted directly at your desired prospect.

Put in the ad, something about call 555-1212 to get FREE information about, whatever.

I like to use “How to Hire a Contractor”.

When they call the number, you can capture it and then reverse look-up their address and send them even MORE information than you have already given them on your recorder.

This may sound a little underhanded to some but I’ll tell you what. We are looking for a landscaper right now, and I would give anything to come across an ad like that. If people answer your ad, they need the service. So why not give them access to the BEST company in town, YOURS!


IMHO, this is just as beneficial to the prospect as it is for your company.

Paul Burns
p.s Sorry Kelly, I'm not allowed to answer your ?'s

Nathan

Funny how everyone seems to know your selling something from you posts.

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

Paul Burns

Nathan, that is funny. Especially since a lot of these posts were written and saved in WORD and posted on other BB's several years ago when I wasn't selling anything!

Paul

mdshunk

Perhaps they served no secondary purpose until now?

Paul Burns

Do you all want me to stop sharing this information? Or do you think it is beneficial to painters?

Paul

George Z

I understand your position Nathan and whatever you are doing
is working great for this forum(rules are rules and where does it stop?)

I just wish I bought what some of these people were selling ten years ago.
So many years of my life I will never get back because I didn't know.
I wish I came across the Richard Kallers of these forums earlier.
As soon as he was banned that other board died.
Thank God for the archives and the search function.
That much contractor specific info will never be shared again.

I still can't distinguish between the Michael Stone promotion and this latest issue. Unless he is paying for the infomercial.

All I know is if I didn't come across these hundreds of posts from
that Chatroom, my business would never be the same.

Let me qualify all the above again by saying:

I understand your position and whatever you are doing

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mdshunk

Nope, in fact I just signed up to be what appears to be the only 1800paintjob contractor in my state. Consequently, who's Warren Burns? Relative, or your alter ego?

Gordo

Whatever it is he is selling sure got some people fired up. I think he is selling a thought process (thinking outside of the box) when in all actuallity, can't be bought. It must be learned.

If you look at his posts, most of what you need to know he has given you point blank. The other stuff that might be for sale.....well you can figure that out on your own through reverse deduction.

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Looks like some pros were here.

Paul Burns

Thank you Gordo.

After having about 50 negative, insulting, personally attacking posts directed my way (most that I simply didn't reply to) it is nice to see that SOMEONE can find value in my posts.

Personally, I think Stevie Wonder could even see value in them, but..................

Paul

joasis

The posts are free, and make the grey matter go to work..isn't that the point? I enjoy learning anything new, whether it may or may not be benificial to my particular company.

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R&S Exteriors

There is some truth, and a lesson, in what you are saying

BUT

It sounds to much like an infomercial (TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE)

And it is to simplistic. I'm sure that many people who think big end up earning big. I'm also sure that for every one of those big thinkers that succeed there are 10 big thinkers that thought real big and went bankrupt.

You have to do more than think big.

You have to know your trade.
You have to know the growth potential in the area you are working.
You have to know how to run and manage a business.
You have to have talented motivated employee's. (if you want to be big)
You have to know your weak and strong points and hire someone to help with your weak points.
You have to provide a quality product
You have to provide that product at a price HO's in your working area can afford.

And a little Luck doesn't hurt either. I suggest don't think to big to fast. If you want to be big expand slowly. Think as big as you want but take actions slowly and patiently

Nathan

Richard Kaller had a ton of great info and helped a lot of people out. I know he helped me thing a few things through for sure. I wish there were more people out there like him.

The Michael Stone thing is unique in two ways. First, it is not taking place in the posts/forums themselves it's taking place in the chatroom. Second, I asked users a while back who we should INVITE to come and talk with us and several people mentioned him by name. I had never heard of the guy to be honest. So I'm just trying to bring in a guy who was requested and I'm giving him a plug for offering to come.
NO MONEY is being paid for him coming to talk with us.


The reason so many forum sites fail is because they do not have defined rules and/or they do not enforce them evenly. We enforce our rules across the board and we allow some people to slide and others not to. That's just the way we run things.

I'm not saying Paul is advertising right now I was just stating that it was funny that people keep asking that question.

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

lxdollarsxl

Having a big business and lots of money isnt all its cracked up to be, take my word for it, your posts are good for those who want that life, for myself just the laid back style with enough to live on and no heart attacks from overwork and stress of big business.

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Damned if im gonna do it more than once.

Paul Burns

I have been posting for years that we see a net profit (our company and I) of around 30K per painter per year. That is WITHOUT me touching a brush. So I can earn 90K per year by working 10-15 hours per week on estimates and such. With 4 painters, that take home money goes up to 120K and so on. You can do as little or as much as you want. I think the biggest that we ever were was 4-2man crews, or 8 painters!

What is so stressful about that? Matter of fact, it got to be soo boring, that I had to move so that I could prove that it work in a different state than I started and spent almost 30 years working in. After being legal in t he new state for 3 days, the question of whether it would work or not was answered. The answer was YES!

Paul

Mike Finley

I'm really curious what contracting company would employ something like that and for what reason? It seems like a huge waste of marketing dollars. Since your most effective marketing dollars are those that target your specific customers a scenario you described is on the exact opposite end of effectiveness.

Is this something you have actually used or is this just stuff you are copying and pasting?

Paul Burns

Mike,

If I post about or copy and paste anything, it is what I've used or wrote myself!

If you re-read the post, you will notice that the first example is about target marketing.

But I've been warned about you, so I'll leave it at that.

Paul

lxdollarsxl

What is the point of it then, Greed? If you earn enough to have the type of lifestyle you require, why would you want more?

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Damned if im gonna do it more than once.