8/18/26: DBM Growth Workshop - Sales Coaching with Brad Huebner

This exclusive Growth Workshop featured Brad Huebner, a sales coach who specializes in helping contractors improve their sales process and protect their time.

Brad shared practical guidance on moving beyond order-taking, uncovering what homeowners actually care about, and building trust throughout the sales conversation. His “Yes Staircase” framework offers a useful way to understand the questions, concerns, and expectations a homeowner needs addressed before feeling confident moving forward.

Why This Matters

Deck projects involve significant financial, logistical, and emotional considerations. Homeowners are not only deciding what they want built. They are also deciding whether they can trust the builder, the process, the timeline, and the people who will be working around their home.

Many builders answer the obvious questions—price, materials, permits, and timing—but miss the less visible concerns that can influence the decision:

  • Will the crew be respectful?
  • Will the jobsite stay clean?
  • Will the builder protect the homeowner’s property?
  • Will communication be consistent?
  • Will the project disrupt neighbors or violate HOA requirements?
  • Will the builder follow through on what was promised?

When those questions remain unanswered, the homeowner has to make a larger leap of trust. That gap often shows up later as hesitation, objections, ghosting, or price resistance.

What We Discussed

1. Sales Is More Than Taking an Order

Brad described the difference between order taking and actual sales.

Order taking means gathering the requested specifications and preparing an estimate:

  • Deck size
  • Materials
  • Stairs
  • Lighting
  • Accessories
  • Other requested features

That information is necessary, but it does not explain why the homeowner is making the investment or what they need in order to feel confident hiring you.

A sales conversation should uncover the homeowner’s reasons, priorities, and concerns. The project specifications tell you what they want. Their motives and expectations help you understand why they want it and what will influence their decision.

That distinction matters because the same deck project can represent very different priorities for different homeowners. One person may care most about finishing before a graduation party. Another may be focused on safety, appearance, low maintenance, or avoiding disruption to their family.

2. The “Yes Staircase” Represents Growing Trust

The Yes Staircase is a visual model for the sales process.

The homeowner begins on the ground floor. The sale is on the second floor. Each concern or expectation that is properly uncovered and addressed becomes another step in the staircase.

For example, a homeowner may need confidence about:

  • Project cost
  • Timeline
  • Permits and HOA approvals
  • Licensing, insurance, and warranties
  • Jobsite logistics
  • Crew professionalism
  • Property protection
  • Cleanup
  • Communication
  • Their pets, children, neighbors, or daily routines

Every clear answer helps build another step.

If a homeowner has seven important concerns and only three are addressed, there is still a significant gap between where they are and where they need to be to make a confident decision. The larger that gap, the more trust they have to supply on their own.

A strong sales process does not assume every homeowner has the same staircase. Each person may have different priorities, and those priorities may not always be stated directly.

3. Concerns Are Not Always About Price

Price is an important part of most deck-buying decisions, but it is not the only factor.

Some concerns are practical:

  • How long will the project take?
  • Where will materials and trailers be placed?
  • How will workers access the property?
  • Will permits be handled?
  • How will the project affect the homeowner’s neighbors?

Others are personal:

  • Will the crew use inappropriate language?
  • Will anyone smoke near the home?
  • Will workers behave professionally around children?
  • Will the team protect a gate so a pet cannot escape?
  • Will the property be left clean at the end of each day?

These concerns may seem minor from the builder’s perspective, but they can be highly important to the homeowner. Dismissing them can create the impression that the builder does not understand or respect what matters to the client.

The best approach is to ask questions that make room for these details instead of waiting for the homeowner to bring them up.

4. Confidence Matters as Much as the Answer

A concern can be technically answered without actually being resolved.

For example, if a homeowner needs the deck completed before a specific event, saying, “We should be able to finish by then” may not provide enough confidence—especially if the timeline is tight.

A stronger response would explain:

  • Whether the deadline is realistic
  • What conditions need to be met
  • What decisions must happen quickly
  • What risks or limitations exist
  • What your team will do to protect the timeline

The goal is not to make promises that cannot be kept. It is to give the homeowner a clear, honest answer so they can make an informed decision.

Confidence comes from being specific. If the answer is uncertain, explain what is known, what is not known, and what would need to happen next.

5. Ask Questions Before Presenting the Investment

The workshop emphasized spending much of the sales conversation understanding the homeowner before moving into pricing or investment.

Useful questions may explore:

  • What led you to start considering this project?
  • How long have you been thinking about it?
  • What would make the project feel successful?
  • Who else will be involved in the decision?
  • Is there a specific date or event you are working toward?
  • Have you worked with a contractor before?
  • What concerns do you have about the process?
  • What budget range were you expecting?

These questions are not meant to interrogate the homeowner or force a decision. They help you understand whether the project is a good fit and what information the homeowner needs.

The more the homeowner can explain their situation, the easier it becomes to address the right concerns rather than giving a generic presentation about your company.

6. Use Ballparks to Establish Alignment

A preliminary price range can help determine whether the project is in the same general financial range for both sides.

A ballpark is not a final estimate. It is a way to understand whether it makes sense to continue the conversation before investing time in a site visit, design work, or a detailed proposal.

A useful ballpark should:

  • Be based on the information currently available
  • Be clearly described as preliminary
  • Account for the variables that could change the final price
  • Give the homeowner an opportunity to explain their expectations
  • Avoid creating false precision

The purpose is not to win an argument about price. It is to identify whether the project, scope, and budget are reasonably aligned.

When discussing ranges, builders should be careful not to imply certainty where there is none. The homeowner should understand what the range means and what would be required to provide a more accurate number.

7. Position Your Business Around Its Actual Strengths

Every builder has a different business model.

Some companies are small and highly hands-on. Others have dedicated salespeople, project managers, and larger production teams. Neither model is automatically better for every homeowner.

The important question is: What does your business model allow you to do especially well?

That strength could include:

  • Direct owner involvement
  • Consistent communication
  • A specialized building process
  • Faster production
  • A smaller, more personal team
  • Design expertise
  • Experience with complex permits or HOAs
  • Strong project management
  • A high level of jobsite organization

This positioning should focus on the type of experience you provide—not on criticizing other builders.

For example, a smaller builder might explain that clients work directly with the owner and receive close personal attention. A larger company might emphasize its communication systems, production capacity, or dedicated support team.

The right message depends on the business you actually operate and the clients you serve.

8. Turn Common Concerns Into Helpful Content

Questions raised during sales calls can become useful resources for future homeowners.

The workshop discussed creating content around topics such as:

  • What to expect on the first day of a deck project
  • How parking and material delivery are handled
  • How the crew protects the home and property
  • How permits and HOA approvals work
  • What a typical project timeline looks like
  • How cleanup is managed
  • What homeowners should do to prepare
  • How communication works during construction
  • What the warranty does and does not cover
  • How your consultation and estimating process works

This information can be presented in several formats:

  • Website FAQs
  • Short videos
  • Blog articles
  • A project preparation guide
  • A “What to Expect” guide
  • Confirmation or follow-up emails
  • A visual sales process timeline

The content does not need to be perfect to be useful. A clear written explanation is a good starting point. It can later be expanded with photos, graphics, or video.

9. Explain the Process Before the Homeowner Has to Ask

One recurring lesson from the session was the importance of explaining what happens next.

Homeowners should not have to guess:

  • What happens after submitting a form
  • When they will receive a call
  • Whether a discovery call comes before a site visit
  • When a preliminary price range is discussed
  • What is needed before an estimate can be prepared
  • What happens after the consultation
  • How the project moves from agreement to construction

Even a simple three-step explanation can reduce uncertainty:

  1. Submit project details and photos.
  2. Have a short conversation about the project.
  3. Schedule the next appropriate step if the project appears to be a fit.

A confirmation page or email can reinforce this process. A short video from the owner or salesperson can make it feel more personal.

Key Takeaway

A homeowner’s decision is usually based on more than the deck design and the final price. They are also deciding whether they trust the builder to manage the project, respect their property, communicate clearly, and deliver the experience they expect.

The "Yes Staircase" is a reminder to slow down and identify the concerns that need to be addressed before asking the homeowner to make a decision. Each clear, honest answer builds trust. Each unanswered concern leaves a gap.

The best sales conversations are not the ones where the builder talks the most. They are the ones where the homeowner feels understood, receives useful information, and can make a confident decision about whether the project and builder are the right fit.

What to Look At in Your Business

Sales Process

  • Do you have a documented process from first inquiry through signed agreement?
  • Are you explaining that process before asking homeowners to take the next step?
  • Do you have a discovery conversation before investing time in a site visit or detailed estimate?

Questions and Listening

  • Are you asking enough questions to understand why the homeowner wants the project?
  • Who else is involved in the decision?
  • What deadline, event, or circumstance is influencing the project?
  • What concerns might the homeowner hesitate to mention?

Pricing

  • Are you using preliminary price ranges to establish alignment?
  • Is it clear that a ballpark is not a final estimate?
  • Are you explaining what could cause the final price to change?
  • Are you learning the homeowner’s expectations instead of assuming them?

Website and Content

  • Does your website explain what happens after a homeowner submits an inquiry?
  • Do you answer common questions about permits, timelines, cleanup, crew conduct, and property protection?
  • Could any of your existing written materials be turned into a short video or FAQ?

Client Experience

  • What does your team do to protect the homeowner’s property?
  • How do you handle gates, pets, children, parking, neighbors, and daily routines?
  • Are those standards communicated clearly before construction begins?

Positioning

  • What does your business do especially well because of its size, structure, or experience?
  • Are you explaining that advantage in terms of the client experience?
  • Are you attracting homeowners who are a good fit for the way your company operates?

Implementation Checklist

  • Document your first three client-facing sales steps and send them to your Account Manager so we can add them to your contact page.
  • Review your sales calls and estimate process to identify where homeowners receive a preliminary price range.
  • Add questions about timeline, decision makers, budget, and project priorities to your intake process.
  • Create a “What to Expect” resource and share with your Account Manager so we can include it to your confirmation emails.
  • Identify one real strength of your business model and explain how it benefits the type of client you serve.

Resources

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