12/23/2025: DBM Growth Workshop – Deck Therapy Session
Deck (Builder) Therapy: Real Conversations, Real Growth
This month’s Growth Workshop took a different approach. Instead of a formal presentation, we hosted our first Deck Therapy Session. An open, client-only mastermind focused on the real challenges deck builders are navigating as they grow.
The goal was simple: create space for honest conversation, peer-to-peer insight, and practical problem-solving. Builders were encouraged to bring one challenge currently creating friction in their business and open it up to the group for discussion.
What followed was a high-value conversation around standardization, sales professionalism, competition, and scaling with intention.
Standardizing Crews & Protecting Your Brand
Andy kicked off the session by sharing a challenge many growing builders face: maintaining consistency across multiple crews.
“Trying to get them all to follow the same process every single day is really tricky for us. We’ve got multiple crews, and they all build a different way. I want a deck built by our company to look like it was built by our company — not by one crew or another.”
→ Inconsistency, even when it doesn’t generate complaints, creates long-term operational friction. Documenting standards, training intentionally, and setting visual benchmarks can help ensure every project reflects the same level of craftsmanship.
Winning Bigger Jobs Through Professionalism
The conversation naturally shifted into sales, competition, and how builders can separate themselves in crowded markets without racing to the bottom on price.
“A year ago, we implemented a better package that we would give people on estimating. We didn’t see a drop in dollars this year — we actually stayed consistent — but we started landing bigger jobs.”
Elevating the in-home sales experience with professional leave-behinds, clear process explanations, and visual examples helped homeowners feel more confident in their decision. The takeaway was clear: professionalism builds trust, and trust wins larger projects.
→ The sales experience doesn’t stop at the estimate. It’s about clearly communicating value, process, and expectations from the very first interaction.
Beating Competition
Another recurring theme was how to compete with newer or lower-quality competitors without compromising standards.
“We do fantastic work, but the biggest hurdle is getting the customer to understand that without having seen it.”
→ Branding, proposals, voicemail experience, and even how calls are handled all contribute to the customer journey. Builders who take control of that journey (from first call to final walkthrough) are better positioned to compete on value instead of price.
Why Deck Therapy Is Here to Stay
The session wrapped with strong feedback from attendees, reinforcing the value of open, peer-driven discussion.
“Bouncing ideas off people who are in the industry is really powerful. These conversations are super valuable — especially with people who aren’t in your market and are willing to share what’s actually working.”
→ Because of the impact and engagement, Deck Therapy Sessions will now be a a recurring topic in our Growth Workshop format, giving you a consistent space to collaborate, learn, and grow together.
Resources Shared:
- Podcast Episode - Mike Mitchell & Andy Henley joined April to talk about how they are leveraging AI in their business.
- 99 Prompts for Chat GPT - Hint: Check out the admin prompts on page 10!
