Article

Why is the Contracting Industry WEAK in Selling?

Contractor sales skills are rare, which makes them easy to stand out with. Why busy contractors should stop delaying and build a real sales team.

Ryan Groth Founder & CEO, Sales Transformation Group
1 min read

Originally published November 30, 2018. Updated September 2026 with a summary, next steps and answers to common questions.

I love data, it takes the emotions out of things and makes it easier to make a decision.

So I have a question for you, have you been delaying your decision to work on your sales skills as a contractor?

Sure, you’ve got to make sure you have your “ducks in a row” and you don’t “need any more work”. “I don’t have enough work for my crews to do anyhow, labor is short”.

I’ve heard all of the excuses – but should they stop you from getting higher margin work, strengthening the quality of your backlog, improving your relationships, growing your service and direct account vertical markets?

Have you ever paid attention to the top 100 (500 or 600) contractor list in your specialty trade publication and noticed a trend?

Yes, the top contractors on the list have SALES TEAMS.

Why do they crush the competition and continue to see growth?

Because it’s so easy to differentiate!

Selling against most contractors is EASY if you develop the 21 core competencies to do it because the industry doesn’t have the 21 core competencies to do it!

I’ve heard this quote and believe it to be true in business, “You’re either growing or you’re dying”.
Developing a predictable sales organization takes hard work, but will change everything. You choose!

Check out my video blog in the link above to learn more.

If you’re interested in scheduling a strategy session with me to take a deeper dive into your current situation, click the link below.

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Why do so many contractors struggle to sell?

Why are contractors weak at selling?
Most contractors never build a sales organization. They rely on the owner or on bidding, and keep putting off work on their sales skills with reasons like labor shortages or already having enough work. Because so few contractors develop the core sales competencies, the ones who do find it easy to stand out from the competition.
Should I work on sales if I already have more work than my crews can handle?
Yes. Better selling is not only about more volume. It helps you win higher margin work, strengthen the quality of your backlog, improve relationships, and grow your service and direct account business. Being busy simply means you can be more selective about the work you take on.
What do top contractors do differently in sales?
The contractors at the top of trade publication rankings have sales teams. A predictable sales organization lets them differentiate from competitors who do not sell well, and keep growing year after year. It takes hard work to build, but as the saying goes, you are either growing or you are dying.