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By Noelle Tarabulski, Founder, Builder Consulting Group

By my count, there are over 150 ways to improve a home builder’s profit. This is just one. Be prepared for Santa or to make Closings Happen ON TIME. A story to share with kids.


One of my clients, Eric, up in Alaska has nine kids who all loved Christmas!! Once, when I was working with him on a project, he told me this top secret story at the time. He said it was on December 22nd or December 23rd a few years ago and something really unusual happened. Eric typically built very nice homes and cabins in the mountains of Alaska, consequently he had a very big barn and workshop behind his house where he stored building supplies and equipment. 

One December night, as the kids were busy making sugar cookies of all shapes and sizes with his wife Nancy, his kids heard a huge ruckus behind the barn.

“Hey!” they said in unison. “There is something going on outside.”

This being Alaska, and you can never be too careful about bears, my builder client got his Marlin 1895 lever rifle with some .45-70 rounds off the gun rack.

While he was loading the noise continued, and the builder could definitely hear it coming from behind the snow-covered barn.

“Kids. I want you to all stay inside while I go find out what is going on,” he commanded . “And stay away from the windows in case of a ricochet, most likely it is that big brown bear looking for food before she settles in for winter .”

 With that he pushed the back door open against the snow and set off across the yard separating the lighted cabin from the darkened barn. When he came around the corner, instead of the bear he expected, he saw a heavy man with a long white beard all dressed in red. It was Santa!

“Santa!” he exclaimed. “Aren’t you here a little early? It is not Christmas Eve!”

“We were out for a test run Son,” said Santa. “And you know how it goes. I ran into one or two little problems with my sleigh and my reindeer.”

“You sound like a superintendent I know,” Eric said. “But what seems to be the trouble?”

“Well, one of my reindeer, Dasher, hurt his right rear hoof with the practice landing on your barn,” Santa said. “It was such a hard landing the sleigh has a little crack in the right runner. Now I am not a mechanical engineer, but I don’t need OSHA to tell me it is not safe. Sorry for the noise, but I need to fix this or Christmas will be ruined!” 

Eric, who started as a carpenter and could do finish carpentry as well, is very talented , he offered to help. He told Santa to follow him into the barn where he kept his supplies. This was one of many times having a great set of tools paid off.

Santa explained, “Hey listen. I was checking things out and had this little incident with the trim of my sleigh where it was dragging. You are really in a remote location. I looked down and saw your barn and thought I always do test landings before the big day, but no one ever sees me do them because I want to maintain the surprise at Christmas. This whole event needs to be on the Q.T. if you know what I mean. He winked. ”

Eric said, “Of course, mums the word, well it looks like you landed at the right location because I'm am home builder and we have some extra lumber right here and a sander - you know two-by-fours, two-by-sixes - which size do you need?

About this time the builder’s wife came out. Since she was Alaskan raised, firearms were a way of life for her, she was packing her Winchester 30-30.

Loudly she announced jealously, “The kids said you thought there was a bear behind the barn. I came outside to check and make sure it was a bear!”

“No. Look Nancy,” said Eric, “It’s Santa! He was on a test run and the runner on his sleigh broke. I am helping him get back to the North Pole.”

“I know what to do,” she said because she was not only a crack shot but a crack baker as well. “Let me go get some cookies I have in the oven. I can keep the kids busy frosting them while you two work.”

My client told me that Santa was pretty nervous. He didn't know if he could make all the rounds on time. Luckily the builder had all the materials and equipment they needed. He had the saws, he had the sander, he even had the wax they needed to put the sled back in perfect running order.

On the Q.T. the builder’s wife called the local vet, who knew the Eric quite well. He came over and bandaged up Dasher who was injured with only a slight sprain. The vet wrapped the hoof up and gave him a little painkiller. Once things where spot on in order, off Santa went without even stopping for cookies.

As a consultant I always do my due diligence, and recently I met up with Santa. He confirmed Eric was a GREAT help a few years back!!

My builder said that I could tell this story because he thought that kids should know a little bit about how hard Santa works to deliver toys on Christmas day and how he as a builder helped him. Being a pragmatic and resourceful builder and having the right equipment, at the right time can be important to anyone or any project. (As you never know what can happen in life!! )

The moral of this story is having the right skill, right equipment can be just what is needed to make a house ready to close on time, help the world at large be in a house,  and also SAVE CHRISTMAS! This is not the first-time home builders saved Christmas nor will it be the last. Thank you ERIC !! This is my story, and I am sticking to it. 

From my family to yours,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Make 2020 a GREAT YEAR!!

Warm Regards,

Noelle

I can be reached at noellet@buildertools.com or 303.525.4944

My first three questions when you call are usually:

1) How many units do you sell per year?

2) What is your average sale price range?

3) What is your projected net income for the current year?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelle-tarabulski/

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