Ask the Expert: Mark DeFrancesco Talks Painting Success with Brandon Lewis

         Long time mentor and friend Brandon Lewis called Mark DeFrancesco to discuss the ins and outs of staying successful in the painting industry. As a small business owner, Mark's 25-year history of steady growth has been noteworthy. Brandon Lewis runs The Painter's Academy for Professional Painting Contractors, a helpful tool for other small businesses. Recently, Mark and Lisa Hollingsworth attended The Painting Summit hosted by The Painter's Academy in Fort Meyers, Florida.
         Brandon opens the interview by stating his reason for asking Mark's expert advice; he isn't a passive president. Mark is consistently looking for ways to improve his business model and implements these changes as needed. They also touched base on his life, Mark citing his family, watching and coaching sports as his main passions outside of painting. From there, they go back to 1995 when Mark started MDF Painting while juggling his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. He is candid about his mixed success in the beginning. "The first year we ran full force, we grew pretty rapidly. Basically, zero to a million dollars in sales within a year and a half. But there was no structure, so it was a roller coaster." He went on to explain that his ability to switch out of whatever wasn't working for him started around that time. The company he was working with in the beginning helped him with estimation and marketing but took 25% off the top.
        Returning to the current state of the business, Mark discusses his projected sales numbers, his statewide offices, and his staff. His lead sources are diverse, from Google Adwords to word of mouth. Customer referrals still pour in from satisfied customers regularly. He combines different marketing techniques to ensure the workflow is steady, so utilizing door signs, yard signs, and home show presence has paid off over the years. When it comes to the estimation process, Mark admits he held onto his sales position much longer than necessary. He felt that he was going to be the best representative of his services and realized he was wrong. In the last two years, there has been an overhaul of the consultation process. Now, new consultants train for two weeks and "ride-along" to see the process, then are limited to a few appointments per day to keep consultants sharp.
       They discuss the levels system that's been developing with the introduction of the Paint School. It increases the quality of paint jobs while letting painters work regularly and develop their leadership skills. Each station has been custom made for each type of paint job, such as interior, exterior, and deck staining. Mark was happy to finally unveil the business model he's been brainstorming!

Listen below for the full interview: