Matt Brofman is the Director of Sales and Purchasing at MAP Construction and he’s been a homeyou pro since May, 2015. This month we spoke with him about selling remodeling materials, working in the remodeling business, and how to win the numbers game of getting jobs.
Dave: How long have you been in the remodeling business?
Matt: Well, I sold materials before I actually started doing the contracting work. I’ve done probably about a year and a half in the actual work.
Dave: And I hear that you now do a few different things: painting to HVAC to roofing. Do you have any specialties you’ve developed?
Matt: I love roofing and I love HVAC cause they’re good, quick, in-and-out projects where I can make some decent bucks.
Dave: And you do all of this work in Ohio, is that right?
Matt: Yeah, I service about a 20 mile radius around Cleveland. I try to go to the tips of the West side and the tips of the East side and then a little bit South.
Dave: Must give you a pretty big overview of work out there!
Matt: Well, if I plant myself at my office or at my house and I get a job 20 minutes away, it’s worth it. What’s not as fun is when I have to do an hour drive or so between appointments.
Dave: I bet.
Matt: But, you know, if I get those jobs it’s going to be worth it. It’s all a numbers game: the more you do, the better off you are.
Dave: Makes sense. So, how are you getting most of these jobs nowadays?
Matt: We have a website, we have a Facebook page, I do some direct mailing campaigns, I use a lot of different sources now, including you guys.
Dave: Very cool! And what made you try us out?
Matt: I had a buddy of mine that does landscaping say that he was pretty successful with you. And, to be honest, I was initially quite skeptical but I tried it at his recommendation and it works pretty well so I just kept moving!
Dave: Are there any things you’d like to see changed about how homeyou works?
Matt: I don’t know ... I think your prices are relatively reasonable. I think that the leads that you’re producing - people are responsive to. That’s why I’ll continue to spend as much money as I possibly can with you guys, because you guys are having me pay for what brings value to me and not what doesn’t.
Dave: Happy to hear it! On that same note, do you happen to remember what the biggest job you got through us was?
Matt: Oh, yeah. I got a good sized, I want to say $9,000, heat and air job.
Dave: Wow!
Matt: Like I said, it’s a numbers game. The more people you talk to the better off you’ll be.
Dave: Very good point! So, we know where you are now and what you do now. But, what made you get into the remodeling industry? You said you were selling materials for a while there, what made you make the jump?
Matt: So, my partner and I ... it kinda stumbled into our laps. I had sold roofing materials and furnaces and air conditioning units, so I had a pretty big head start as far as knowledge of the industry goes. It didn’t take me long to figure out all the details and figure out all the quirks of the process.
Dave: Which would you say you like better?
Matt: As things ramp up - as my business becomes the size that it should become - I’ll be making a lot more money myself than I would’ve working as a cog in the machine, I’ll tell you that.
Dave: [laughs] And what have you learned since making the switch over?
Matt: When I was selling materials it was all about price. One thing that’s changed is how I value quality. When I used to sell a furnace for example, all the manufacturers made a relatively similar furnace so if one is $100 cheaper than the rest the guys are going to buy the one that’s $100 cheaper. So I’d try to be the cheapest on the block. Now, things like quality, experience, things like that - people respond to more than just the cheapest price.
Dave: Makes a lot of sense.
Matt: I think so.
Dave: Alright, last one: is there anything you’d want to tell new contractors joining homeyou?
Matt: I would say, buy into the process. It’s a numbers game and if you keep doing the right things it’ll work out.
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