“Rick’s been in the house selling windows, so he knows what you’re going into,” Pompilli says. “We’ve tried other sales programs, and they don’t have anywhere near the effect because they’re generic.”
Thousands of home improvement salespeople and their managers have attended Grosso’s seminars.
In addition to using Grosso’s sales training materials, Pompilli belongs to a group of noncompeting home improvement contractors organized by Grosso. The 14-member group meets twice a year to brainstorm, swap ideas, and network. At a recent gathering, for example, Pompilli shared his company’s “fishbowls” technique. At an earlier meeting, another owner shared his complete manual for successful event marketing. That information helped turn event marketing around for Tri-State, which had yet to get the concept really right.
Grosso, for his part, credits Tri-State’s growth to “a very structured sales environment. The presentation is scripted and on video, and [Pompilli] makes sure that the guys truly know it.”
He also cites the smooth working relationship between partners Pompilli and Thomas. “The partnership allows Brad to concentrate on his strengths — sales and marketing —while Joe does a heck of a job with installation,” Grosso says. “They have both ends of the business covered and great customer satisfaction, and they can go back and keep reselling.”
Grosso points out that an additional factor is the corporate culture.
“His employees have tremendous respect for him,” Grosso says, “because they know he sold $2 million as a salesperson, and he’s created a very close, bonding relationship with his key people in sales.”