Bill Smith
Out of the Woods Construction & Cabinetry
Arlington, Mass. Confidence is contagious, said legendary football coach Vince Lombardi. Bill Smith couldn’t agree more. Production manager of Out of the Woods Construction & Cabinetry, Smith believes that the best way to create confident clients is to present them with an honest, realistic schedule.
Why does it matter if your clients are confident? Because, Smith says, the more confident they are in their decisions, the more likely they are to make decisions on time — and your project will go according to plan.
Key to Smith’s strategy is not overwhelming clients with decisions. “Some production managers bring a laundry list of things for the client to decide,” he says. “Even two decisions in one day may be a lot.” His approach is to spread out “decision days” — days on which he’ll meet with the client to discuss any critical decision, from bathroom configuration to lighting style.
Smith regularly reminds clients of impending decisions. For example, if a client doesn’t know what’s beneath that old linoleum, he’ll plug in a decision day after demolition to review the situation. In the weeks leading up, he sends the clients flooring samples to review and invites them to consider all the options. “Whatever needs to be done for them to make a good decision,” he says.
“Probably the most important thing in project management is being open, upfront, and honest,” Smith says. No surprises. “That builds confidence, and that’s the most important thing — to win clients’ confidence. If you can’t keep it going when the house is torn apart, you’re sunk.”
Smith also strives to get buy-in from subcontractors and the lead carpenter before finalizing a schedule. He first invites subs to the jobsite, asking them to estimate how much time they’ll need for their work. He then invites the lead carpenter to review the proposed schedule and to suggest any changes.
Odds are, once demolition starts, Smith’s schedule isn’t going to change dramatically. “We all put the schedule together, from the day the client comes over to the last dustpan being filled,” he says. “It’s a sense of shared responsibility. At the end of the day, we all know the schedule is first and foremost.”