Shed Geek Podcast

Old-School Sales In A High-Tech World

• Shed Geek Podcast • Season 5 • Episode 108

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What if the next leap in your sales doesn’t come from a new tool, but from mastering the basics you’ve been neglecting? We sat down with shed industry veteran and coach Charles Hutchins, who’s spent three decades proving that people still buy from people. He shares how a warm greeting, a sincere question about use, and a short personalized video with every quote can beat expensive ads and crowded inboxes. The playbook is simple: build rapport, set clear expectations, follow up fast, and fix problems without drama. That’s how you turn a single shed buyer into a long-term customer who comes back for carports, furniture, and more.

We unpack the real role of technology: helpful, not holy. 3D builders educate, but they can’t replace a salesperson who prevents bad configurations and wasted money. Unmanned lots offer visibility, yet they only work when supported by clear signage, easy contact paths, and a human ready to guide decisions. Charles lays out his referral engine for slow seasons and explains why broadening your product mix keeps you top of mind in your town. If you care about shed sales strategy, dealer growth, customer experience, and conversion, this conversation delivers practical steps you can use today.

We also challenge a long-standing industry habit: prioritizing locations over people. The right dealer, with integrity and follow-through, will outperform the perfect corner lot every time. That matters in a market shifting toward fewer units but higher-value sales, where trust and clarity decide winners. Whether you’re a manufacturer vetting partners or a dealer considering diversification, you’ll find grounded advice you can implement this week. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a teammate, and leave a review—then tell us the one habit you’ll double down on to finish the year strong.

For more information or to know more about the Shed Geek Podcast visit us at our website.

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This episodes Sponsors:
Studio Sponsor: Shed Pro

Cardinal Leasing
Digital Shed Builder
LuxGuard
Making Sales Simple

INTRO:

Hello and welcome back to the Shed Geek Podcast. Here's a message from our 2025 studio sponsor. Let's be real. Running a shed business today isn't just about building great sheds. The Industry is changing fast. We're all feeling the squeeze, competing for fewer buyers, while expectations keep climbing. And yet I hear from many of you that you are still juggling spreadsheets, clunky software, or disconnected systems. You're spending more time managing chaos than actually growing your business. That's why I want to talk to you about our studio Sponsor, ShedPro. If you're not already using them, I really think you should check them out. ShedPro combines your 3D configurator, point of sale, RTO contracts, inventory, deliveries, and dealer tools all in one platform. They even integrate cleanly into our Shed Geek marketing solutions. From website lead to final delivery, you can quote, contract, collect payment, and schedule delivery in one clean workflow. No more double entries. No more back and forth caos. Quoting is faster, orders are cleaner. And instead of chasing down paperwork, you're actually running your business. And if you mention ShedGeek, you'll get 25% off all setup fees. Check it out at ShedPro.co/ ShedGeek. Thank you, ShedPro, for being our studio sponsor and honestly for building something that helps the industry.

Cord :

Welcome back to the Shed Geek Podcast. Here on a beautiful 60 degree and sunny day, in Southern Illinois. The most beautiful fall day that we've had thus far. If you're watching on YouTube with video, you can see my fresh out-of-the-box, oh no, Willow Lake uh hat, beautiful dark blue hat uh that the guys over at Willow Lake were gracious enough to send over. We appreciate that. Always want to remind everyone uh if you need to get a hold of Shed Geek, give us a call, 618-309-3648. Of course, you can email us info, INFO@ shedgeek.com. You can go to the website and fill out a contact form, www.shedgeek.com. Also, check us out on Facebook. And if you haven't already, join the Shed Sales Professionals Facebook group. Uh, it is a wealth of knowledge. Uh, both our guest today and my co-host uh are very active on there, and we appreciate that group and the knowledge that gets shared. Uh, with that, co-hosting with me today, uh, a former guest, now twice, um, here recently, about three or four weeks ago, for those of you listening, Mr. Tyler Mayhan, uh contributor at Shed Business Journal, general manager at Better Barnes of Paul's Valley, Oklahoma. Uh, tell me, Tyler, how are you today, sir?

Tyler Mayhan:

Man, I'm doing great, Cord. Thank you for having me as co-host today. I'm super excited about this. I can't imagine uh getting started co-hosting with anybody more interesting than Mr. Well, I'll let you introduce our guest here in just a minute. Uh, but I'm super excited about it, man. I've been excited all day. Uh, and I meant to bring a uh hat that reflected some company in the industry, and I forgot this morning. And so you're stuck seeing me just wearing this hat I've got on for today.

Cord :

It's a good looking hat. That's right. For those of you, good to see you, Cord. Uh I will cut everybody off at the past because I know about two weeks ago I was doing an interview and I referenced you, Tyler, and I said from Plain City, Oklahoma, which of course I was getting uh I was getting mixed up with Plain City, Ohio, where our friend Dale Beachy and Beachy Barns is located. So, before anybody has written in uh and said that, I just want to make sure that I do know where you're at there in Paul's Valley. Um, but with that, as you said, Tyler, uh, I would like to uh joining the two of us today. Uh our guest is Mr. Charles Hutchins. Um at this point, I mean, you know, uh we like to be humble on this show and everything else, but I think really, as Shannon would say, a Mount Rushmore figure in the Shed industry, uh longtime uh Shed Coach. Of course, you have Shed and Carport Pro there in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Uh, I was blessed to be able to stop there uh back over the summer when we were headed out, uh headed out to Ohio and Pennsylvania. We stopped in and saw you. And man, I am, I mean, I'm I don't even know. I don't even want to guess how much younger that I am than you, Charles, but you beat me on energy uh hands down all the time, and you always bring the sauce, Charles. I love that about you.

Charles Hutchins:

Well, I appreciate that, man. Uh hey, it is what it is. I'm celebrating I cannot believe it. I'm at the end of the year in December, it's my 30th year in the business. Wow, if that's right, I started in December of 1995, and uh I cannot believe it. And uh, I got good news and bad news on that. What's that? Bad news is I don't know where I'm going, right? Right. Good news is I'm way ahead of schedule, so it's still going strong. I got another 30 years of me at least. So everybody watch out, you know. Here I come.

Cord :

That's right.

Charles Hutchins:

Don't let this gray hair fool you, right?

Cord :

But always perfectly combed, Charlie.

Charles Hutchins:

Oh, yeah. My wife makes fun of my hair, you know. I look like a skunk. Look, look at this gray hair up here, and the kids make fun of me. They're like, Dad, look, you look like Peppy look you, and I'm like, thanks. They give me a lot of encouragement, right?

Cord :

So yeah, you know, Charles, uh, I just have to say, like, man, you are you are such a good sales guy. You're so fun to be around. Like, you're I mean, I know this is who you are because I've been around you in person, and I know this is just Charles through and through, but you know, I think it is just so interesting from that long view perspective, right? I mean, 30 years ago, um, I mean, I suppose the internet was technically around, right? But yeah, before invented it, yeah.

Charles Hutchins:

It was about the time that I got started, the internet was really kind of starting to take off, and I didn't use it at all. I mean, it was like I didn't know what it was and uh didn't care what it was. All I was focused on is dealing with people and getting them shed. That's all I was focused on. And you know the same thing now.

Cord :

Yeah, well, that's kind of what where I was going, Charles, is like, you know, I've been to your lot, and actually I had the privilege of seeing you interact with some customers while we were there. Some people walked up, and you know, I think that there's just something so enduring. Um, and maybe even um this is a good opportunity to talk about uh kind of what you what your breakout session uh was there at the Shed Sales Summit. Uh rave reviews, as always. I heard people talking about how good you were in that in those breakouts. But you know, I think there's just something so enduring about having those um very disciplined, old school approach to just, hey, my goodness, if there's ever an opportunity, it's the person who's in front of you, right? Just maybe, maybe tell us about what your approach is there.

Charles Hutchins:

Well, no matter what the technology ever, however far the technology goes, you know, taking care of the person, like you said in front of you, that's what it's all about. The basics for me never change. I'm just trying to get the person I'm working with the best deal, the best quality, best experience. I want them to remember me and the experience and how I made them feel. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, right? Right. And I try to develop rapport with them, you know, ask about their families and things like stuff like that. So that's kind of one of the big secret weapons in the sales business is just get to know your customer, relate to them, right? And it has to be genuine, it can't be fake. There is no secret, no magic bullets, no secret pill to take. It's the belly-to-belly stuff. And I think that's gotten lost with the technology that's coming out. You know, like you got Facebook, you got Google. And in my presentation, I'll tell you who's got all that stuff, and I do too. It gets the phone to ring, but what you do afterwards, what counts. Okay, you could spend a million dollars a month on Google and Facebook, and that phone's gonna ring and ring. If you can't handle the customers and help them get what they want and developer for, it's all for not, guys. I mean, it really is.

Cord :

You know, that's right. You know, I interviewed uh Tyler just a couple uh maybe it's been a month ago as far as the listeners are concerned, a couple weeks ago, uh, you know, and Tyler has much the same approach. Um, you know, I mean, he is dedicated to that same, you know, uh, we have to be real, right? We're out here, I mean, you know, I don't I've unfortunately haven't been to Paul's Valley yet, but I get the understanding that it's very much like Elizabethtown, right? I mean, we're out here in rural America in small towns, and like you got to have that real interaction. Um, that's what's going to make you successful in the long run. Tyler, maybe uh maybe I know you had some uh had some pretty strong thoughts on these same ideas whenever I was interviewing you. I'm sure you do now as well.

Tyler Mayhan:

Sure. Yeah, so Charles, I actually went, I wasn't at the summit this year. I think a lot of people in this industry are aware that my wife was diagnosed with brain cancer last year. And so, we have been dealing with all those things, you know, and I just couldn't make it out there this year. Uh but I was there the year before and I attended your breakout session, and the things that you had to say, they just man, they just landed, you know. I mean, that's it's kind of like the Bible. It's like it doesn't matter what the times look like, it doesn't matter how much things change around you. It's still a solid foundation to build on. And those things that you bring to the industry, I mean, they're just foundational. And so, I mean, yeah, we obviously have tried to incorporate that as well. I tell our customers, you know, the people that we deal with, Charles, are the same people I see at the restaurant downtown on Friday night, right? I mean, that's you know, I gotta treat them right. I'm gonna I'm gonna sit by them at the restaurant, you know. And so, but I guess I do I would like to hear some more thoughts if you could expand some about how to balance this, all this technology that seems like, you know, I mean, we've got the 3D builders, we've got a lot of things today that that we didn't have, and I haven't been in it as long as you. I started in 03, but you know, we didn't have all those tools at our disposal in those days. But now it seems like if we're not careful, that there's almost this overdependence on technology, we'll just do it. And it's almost like, well, we'll just figure out how to make AI do it. And you can't you can't replace these relationships with the technology. And so maybe you could just talk some about that personal touch that you've been able to bring. It seems like that's been the cornerstone of your success through the years.

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Charles Hutchins:

Right. Well, for me, Facebook, uh, Google, I do a few Facebook ads. I'm on Facebook every day. I do a real just something different every day. I post on Facebook. I try to. And sometimes I repost the same thing from yesterday or last week. I always want to have a presence on Facebook and I buy a few ads, but I don't spend enough money on Facebook to amount to anything. And I still have what I think is pretty a pretty successful deal, you know. Um, it just all goes back to the basics never change. People come in my office, they come into my lot, I greet them, I do exactly what we talk about in my presentation. You know, I try to greet people with a smile. Uh, I try to get to know them a little bit, find out what they want. Um, and they'll tell you. And uh I try to have you have a little humor involved in it. I just try to make it a good experience, kind of lighten it up a little bit, because everybody that walks through your doors and my doors, they have an invisible barrier in front of them, and they want to, you got to knock that down a little bit, you know, for them to be comfortable to do business with you. And I don't know about you, but I've got competition everywhere across besides myself, across the street, down the street, up the street. So in this day and age, we as salespeople, we got to be on our best behavior and be focused and dialed in when you're at work. That you're all you're worried about is taking care of that person's needs, man. That's it. That's it. And people, I think, when you're genuine, pick up on that. And that goes a lot further than I spend $5,000 a month on Facebook ads. You know, I see it online all the time. People say, Well, I've spent this amount, and are y'all getting any results? You know, uh, another thing I do, um the best thing in the world, if sales are a little slow, go back and call your customers that have already got buildings, ask them how their building is or whatever you sold them, and then ask for referrals. That is a well that has never gone dry for me. And during the winter months, I really concentrate on that. I'll be calling my customers back, you know, and asking them who do you know in your circle of influence that could use my services? And guess what? Sometimes they'll say, I don't know anybody, but other times they're like, hey, my cousin, my uncle, my friend, you know, like Zig Ziggler said, if you aim at nothing, that's exactly what we're gonna get. Nothing. So that rings true, you know. So I try to stay focused every day. Now I don't do it perfectly every day. That's another thing. These 10 core commitments that I talk about, I strive to do each one every day. Some of them I do more than others. It just depends on how the day comes out, but I'm always doing those money-making activities, or I'm not sitting around twiddling my thumbs, going, man, nothing's happening. The phone's not ringing. I try not to allow myself to get in that stinking thinking mindset, you know, that Zig Ziglar talked about. Once again, Zig Ziggler, that just ruins your ruins your sales. If you don't have the right mindset, guys, it's don't even go to work that day because you're gonna hurt yourself more than you help yourself.

Cord :

Well, and like you say, Charles, I mean, that is, you know, I mean, of course, this is what I've done. Uh, you know, I graduated college in 2014, uh, sales and marketing. So, so I've done, I've been on both sides of that. Uh, and of course, I've worked in small businesses. So a lot of times I've been on both sides of it at the same time, right? Right. Um, but you know, it's exactly that, especially uh as people lean into the digital leads more, you really do wind up. And I mean, this is, you know, of course, on the marketing side, you know, people would encourage you to, you know, use that that new leads pipeline, right? Uh as your sort of that's where you start your day, that's where you live, so to speak, during your day. But it does sometimes, especially if the lead volume's not there, right? It can lead to that waiting mentality, right? It can lead to that wait, wait for them to drop in. And if they're not there, then I guess I can just sit here and cruise YouTube or you know, kind of uh, you know, instead of having those very proactive money-making activities, you know, something, Charles, that really impressed me as I was driving through Elizabeth Town this summer was that you've managed to get your sheds up at the local, was it a true value? Tell me. Rural King. Yeah, you know, and that was so impressive to me.

Charles Hutchins:

I had some help with that. Well, yeah, okay. Yeah, uh, one of the Amish gentlemen that I work with on sheds had a deal with uh Rural King, and uh he said, Hey, go to that rural king and see if we can put some sheds up there. And I said, Absolutely, man. Anywhere I can be, I want to be, right? And um, so we walked a deal out, and I just it's a visual location, but people call me and they come down to my location because of that. Yeah, and it's been a big, it's been a big boost, you know. Every little thing you do like that adds on, you know, to your numbers, and uh it's worked out good, you know. I'll sell a lot of chicken coops, uh, things like that.

Cord :

You know, Tyler has much that same kind of approach, right? As far as now for them, it's adding more and more uh, you know, uh products and things like that, uh, you know, at their own lot, but it's the same idea, right? Let let's give the customer a place where they can they feel comfortable approaching, right? And you know, whether that's kind of getting the leg up with the rule key, and then you're at the edge and now you've got your good signage and you're directing them down the road. But you know, I think uh Tyler, that that almost mirrors some of the conversations that we were having uh just a couple weeks ago about just how to serve your customers, right?

Tyler Mayhan:

Sure, and you know, Charles and I have spoken a little bit in the past. We were uh working together for a short period of time on a project, and so uh, you know, and I followed Charles for years on Facebook and stuff, and it we do have a lot of the same approach and same mindset, and I think it's because we deal with some of the same customer base, and quite frankly, Charles, I think I think that's part of the reason why I even like doing things like this podcast, is because the things that you're saying that resonated with me, and then the things that we're saying here today, they apply, it feels to me like they apply across the board in our industry. Like there's most of the people that are in the industry that we bump into at the show in different places are fighting these exact same battles.

Charles Hutchins:

Yes.

Tyler Mayhan:

Yeah. And really You know, we spoke to Shannon, you know, off air earlier a little bit about some of the value of this podcast. And to me, some of what this is doing is helping everybody in the industry to fight these battles more successfully. And that's what it's about to me. And I know that's what it's about for Charles as well. So uh you mentioned that rural king yard, Charles, and I and I don't I haven't been there, so I don't I didn't see what you guys are talking about, but I was wanting to ask you today if you had some thoughts about an like an unmanned location or a location where there's not anybody, how do you handle that? What's the best way to get the most value out of that?

Charles Hutchins:

Well, um with Rural King, it is unmanned, um, of course. And I've got signs down there, and I got some general brochures in there with my information on it. Unmanned lots is a bag of mixed nuts. You know what I mean? I wouldn't want a bunch of them. I've I would like to have something like Rural King, but uh if you're gonna have a lot, and in fact, I've even I'm thinking about opening up another location, maybe Bowling Green or Lexton or Louisville, Kentucky, um, and mirror what I do at my location and just duplicate it, right? But unmanned lots, uh, I think they can add value. Um but you've got to have your information up there where people can access it, right? Um and I would rather have somebody there, but you know, you know as well as I do, smaller locations that are unmanned. I don't think you're gonna do as well there as if you had a bigger location with a lot of stuff like my location, right?

Tyler Mayhan:

Sure.

Charles Hutchins:

So I think they have value. Um years ago, I had two or three unmanned locations. Um they were okay, but over the years they steadily started dropping because that personal touch is not there, right? So you gotta see if the juice is worth a squeeze as far as what you're paying in rent versus what you're getting out of it. Um that's my opinion. I don't really have a good answer for that. I just know this some unmanned locations have done very well for me, some have been flopped, and I've had to close them down.

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Cord :

You know, I've been in uh McDonald's that feel unmanned at this point. Now, there are still technically, at least the ones I've been to, I know there are some fully, like truly, fully automated ones out there. But the ones I've been to, um, even Wendy's, Burger King's, um, you know, fast food has really taken it up. But I think that even some of the tech stuff, um, you know, there are now mobile providers where you're actually going up and you're kind of interacting with a person on a screen first, right? And then maybe you have that reduced workforce that is in-house um that is then kind of being dispatched afterwards or something. But I'm kind of like you, Charles. You know, to me, it is if you're if you're doing that to reduce the overall workload, there's obviously um benefit to say Sunday afternoons when a shed lot is closed, right? Because just like a car lot, guys like me, who don't necessarily want to be sold to, but have a pretty good idea of what I would like, would like to show up and look and be comfortable with your product and then come back, right? Or give you a call on Monday. And so, there's obviously some value to that unmanned model because it allows for that type of shopper. Um, you know, it allows you to just have more visibility, obviously. But I think that we're really going to have to, as an industry, figure out which of those types of tools are appropriate. We know that we need signage that has phone numbers so you're able to communicate. You know, is it appropriate to build a little kiosk into a small shed?

Charles Hutchins:

Right. Yeah.

Cord :

Uh you know, I don't know. You know, I'm not sure that I know I know that younger people for sure are more open to those. I rented a car at a at a rental place in Charlotte, North Carolina that didn't have a single staff member in there.

Charles Hutchins:

See, that's just wild to me. Uh it seems like in it's something as intricate as sheds. There to me, this is just my view, maybe I'm missing old-fashioned. It's an intricate process. There's a lot of ways, there's a many a slip between the cup and the lip. You ever heard that expression?

Cord :

Yes.

Charles Hutchins:

It sounds good on paper. Oh, get all these people interested, man. But I mean, how many mistakes are you making? You know, I'm talking about you may get a color wrong. They may think one thing that they saw, but they're really getting something else, and that that causes problems. My whole thing is I want to eliminate as many problems as possible. I don't want any issues, right? Yep. That's why somebody like me, I can't rely on that automated thing like a lot of people can. I'm just not comfortable with it yet. There's value to it, but I still, for me, I gotta have a little more oversight. Does that make sense?

Cord :

Oh, yeah, for sure.

Tyler Mayhan:

Yeah, 100%. I'll just say a little bit to you here on that, Charles. I think you'll relate to this story, but you know, we've got our 3D builder on our website. We have customers that use it. I think I think the technology is great. But we had a lady come in to our office sometime back, and she and her husband had gone online, they had built their building, they knew exactly what they wanted. They'd come in, sit down in front of me. This is what we want. So, I said, that's awesome. You know, show me what you guys are planning on doing with it. And by the time it was all said and done, if she had, if we had just let that go right on through, that yes, we'll build this just like you want it, she would have been unhappy with it when she got it home because she didn't understand. She put a door here that she didn't even need, she put a window here that was, you know, it was like there's two or three things that they done on it. By the time it was said and done, we sold her a considerably less expensive shed than what she had come in, and I get it. I mean, we like making money, but it's about taking care of the customers. And some of what you're talking about, I mean, that that stuff. So, I'm gonna wax biblical on you guys for just a second. But the old story needed. You know the story about the king. I don't remember for sure. I think it was one of Solomon's sons, maybe Rehoboam or somebody like that, come in to take over the kingdom. And the older men started giving him counsel and giving him advice, and he left the older men and went and talked to the men that were his age and got all this advice from them and went and done what the men his age had to say, and it was disastrous for him. And uh I don't mean this in a I mean, you know, you showed us your gray hair. Well, I have a reflection up there, okay? Uh and so one thing I think this next generation needs to be very careful with, especially with all these advances in technology, is you don't need to forget the stuff that brought the industry to where it is, and this foundation that built it. And so, I yeah, I'm gonna kick it back to Charles. We brought Charles on here. I I'm not trying to have too much to say, Cord. I'm sorry.

Charles Hutchins:

Oh, you're great, man. Um I was trying to figure out what to follow up with that on, but you that's a great, great analogy used on that, man. And uh kind of got lost there for some you ever do that? Oh, yeah. You want to say, don't know which one to say first, man.

Cord :

No, but I think you're right there, Tyler. Like, you know, and I think generally the shed industry does a pretty good job of, you know, I've often said that that the brilliant thing about America and the way that we sort of run our constitutional republic is that we can't ever move too fast, right? Like we hold ourselves up on purpose um because of the nature of a bicameral legislature, the house and the senate, and of course the executive that can ultimately veto. And so, you know, we never get too out uh far ahead of our skis, so to speak. Um, and I think the shed industry generally um is pretty good about that, but a lot of these tools are very, very attractive, right? And when you see them demoed, um, I know we're just kind of talking about uh 3D Builder and was kind of the reference there, but gosh, I interacted with a um a heating and air company that uh one hour heating and air here out of Paducah, Kentucky, um, that had a full AI assistant that I'm telling you guys was just and now all it's doing is taking notes, right? It's not it's not trying to full on it's sending it over to somebody else and confirming, but it heard what I had to say. It even said, gosh, I bet that's frustrating.

Charles Hutchins:

And you know it's lying to you, right?

Cord :

Not right, you know, and so and uh you know, but I do think the shed industry historically has done a good job of letting these things kind of test the waters first. Um, but a lot of them look really good, right? And when you get the demo, it sounds really good and it works really well. And you know, Charles, just on that, I just man, I love that old school mentality so much, and like you just embody that that makes me feel older, man.

Charles Hutchins:

So, I still think I'm young and on way, but yeah, and I don't want to sound like the guy that says, get off my lawn, but uh AI to me, it's gonna be useful. I just don't I think people get in their mind, I have to be the first one to use it, and I gotta this race to get this new technology, and you're gonna miss everything along the way. You know, I think people get their minds on the next shiny object and they lose sight of the basics, right? I mean, I love technology, but I'm not gonna lose my mind over like, oh, this is gonna cure everything. Now I don't have to do anything, you know. I just do this and this, and uh no, not for me. I wake up every morning like I'm broke, honest to goodness. And I go out there and do the belly-to-belly, the basics never change, all the mundane things. That's just to me and my mindset. And if AI comes along and I can use it to benefit and I trust it, and you know, things like that, I'm gonna do it. You know, but I'm not just like losing my mind trying to beat everybody and I gotta get to this, you know, I gotta do this now. And there's so many things out there that are distractions, right?

Cord :

Yeah. Well, we live in it. Go ahead. And well, it's what that use is, right? And I'd be interested to hear because you know, I have a feeling, I kind of I kind of know where you're coming from, but I'd be interested to hear um, you know, when you get that call, or maybe you get a a website lead form, right? Whenever those kind of digital or not in person leads are coming to you, um, you know, I have a feeling, I mean, I know how good you are in person, right? I have a feeling you're trying to get them to come down and see the lot.

Charles Hutchins:

I'm glad my wife's not here because she'd look at you and go, you don't live with it, you know. She tells you that you don't live with it. Yeah. You wouldn't even take the trash out, you know. No, I'm not that bad, but uh, but no, man, it's uh AI. Uh I've been in my wife uses AI on some things, right? You know, she's in she's a consultant in the bourbon industry, the spirits industry. She got back, she was retired, she retired at 40 years old from uh company and uh she got headhunted to do some consulting work. She couldn't pass it up, man. So she's doing that now. But she does AI. This company she works with, oh man, they're full throttled and all that stuff, you know. So yeah. Um, but yeah, there's uses to it. Um, but for me, I'm I try to be regimented and disciplined to never ever lose track of that day-to-day stuff, the grind, right?

Cord :

Well, am I am I right about that, Charles? Whenever you get a lead that is kind of, you know, just digital in the sense of it's passing through uh uh a lead form, like just walk us through. I mean, it is your primary goal, like is do you ultimately want them on the lot, or if you can manage to like would you sell a box over the phone? Yes, yes.

Charles Hutchins:

Well do I do it? Yeah, I get call, I mean, I'll get an email from on through my website, right? And I built my website, it's terrible, but people like it because it's got prices on it, it's nothing fancy, you can't buy anything on there, you got to call me, right?

Cord :

Right.

Charles Hutchins:

But uh I handle it just like I would handle somebody at the lot, but what I do is if they call me and I send them a quote through an email, right? Right, I will send a video of me, like, hey, I want to thank you personally. I'll send I'll text it to them, you know, for reaching out to me and I tell them, you know, uh use my 30 years of experience. I work for you. And what I'm doing there, I'm trying to create that personal deal where there's they're not getting videos from other people they're dealing with. I know they're not, right? You know, uh, because I've had people tell me, man, I like that video you sent. Um, it was really neat, you know. But I I try to convey three things when I get that email and I haven't met them. I've been doing it a long time, I have a little credibility, right? I work for you, which is a personal, and they see my face. They say I'm a real person. See, I think with all the new technology, uh, the people who can really concentrate on that, making sure people know what the follow-up, I'm really real. I'm here to help you. With me, there's not going to be any problems. That's what I tell people. If there is, we will take care of it. Not a problem. Look at my, you know, look at my history, look at my testimonials here. And that builds credibility, right? So that's another thing I do is I send a video and uh follow with them that way. After I give them the quote and whatever they needed, I just I thank them for stopping by. That's what I do.

Cord :

You're using you're using all the tools.

Charles Hutchins:

You're just yeah, I'm just not using AI and you know, I'm using videos, which that's pretty uh modern for me, right? That's pretty techy for me.

Cord :

Yeah, especially embedded into an email like that.

Charles Hutchins:

That's uh you know Yeah, but it's mostly on it's text mostly.

Cord :

Yeah, yeah.

Charles Hutchins:

I've done a few videos through email. I mean, sometimes those are harder to send for some reason, but uh but yeah, texting texting's really the best tool for me. Obviously, when I talk to him on the phone, but I text that video to him, that's a big help.

Cord :

Yeah, I mean, people at this point consider those texts to be akin, right, to a phone call conversation. Like that's the amount of value that people place on a text. I mean, I know, you know, and this is one that has really taken runs the gamut, right? I mean, my 92-year-old grandmother would prefer to text me. Now she does have hearing problems.

Charles Hutchins:

She just doesn't like you, that's all it is. She didn't want to talk to you. Like my grandmother, you know. I mean, yeah. You're always asking for money, there's always something, right? Yeah.

Cord :

Exactly. Um, no, but you know, Tyler, I think um, and so I've been there to uh Charles Lott. And Charles, correct me if I'm wrong. I think you've got sheds carports, uh, you've got poly furniture, outdoor furniture. Are you also doing like the garage kits or am I wrong about that?

Charles Hutchins:

Garage kits? I mean, I've had people buy garages and they put them up themselves, but not I don't really sell many kits at all. Some people want it installed and also sell play sets and also sell portable decks and patios.

Cord :

Okay, there you go. See, I was really interested because the two of you both have this very like wide ranging. I want to, I want to have the solution, right, for the people in my area. Tyler, maybe, you know, maybe kind of uh tell Charles. I know you were kind of repeating almost what we said a couple weeks ago, but tell Charles that sort of product approach because I think the two of you really are simpatico when it comes to really wanting to be the supplier in your area where if somebody comes to my lot, I'm going to find them that solution.

Tyler Mayhan:

Absolutely sure. Yeah, 100%, Charles. And I think, you know, I had this conversation with Cord already on a previous uh episode, uh talking some about our approach, but I think I think it's so similar to the way you're approaching this, and it's even in our mission statement at Better Barnes, part of what we're trying to do is build relationships. That's what that's what it's about. And I hear that with you. I've heard that you know through the years. That's what you're about. And so, the idea is once you have a customer that you have won their trust enough that you have earned their dollars, if you have other products that you can provide for them through the years, you talk about 30 years. Well, better barn's been around over 20, right? And we're selling the people that we've sold to, you know, 10 and 15 years ago, but now they need a car porter, now they need a barn or a shop or what have you. Uh, and so I see that approach, and some of what I talked to Cord about, and even what we've talked, Shannon and I have talked even behind the scenes offline, uh, about some of these rural shed sellers. You know, there's when you're just selling sheds, especially with most of us are selling high-quality sheds, right? Uh I said this in the other episode, but don't say my buildings are quality and expect that to make them stand out. Everybody says that.

Charles Hutchins:

Yeah, exactly right. Yeah.

Tyler Mayhan:

But anyway, if that's all you're selling, then you're probably gonna sell one building to this person, and that's all you'll ever get out of them, unless you're there a really long time.

Charles Hutchins:

Right. You're a hundred percent right. And uh to kind of further that comment, it hit me a long time ago. I was like, wait a minute, I can do more than just sheds. I mean, let's get other things that relate to this industry. And I'm an independent guy, in other words, I'm not I don't have like one builder that it that supplies me buildings, and I have to sell their stuff. No, I've got you know a multitude of vendors that I work with, uh, but I'm very loyal at the same time. I don't just you know switch people out because I can get more money. I don't do any of that stuff. I mean, if you do a good job for me, I'm gonna do a great job for you, and that's how I do it. But no, you in this day and age, I could not see myself just relying on shed sales. I just couldn't do it. I mean, I can make a decent living, but I couldn't do it in a big way like we do now. And uh you have to have more offerings. If you're gonna do the business, I always call it the big way. If you're gonna do it, you need to have other offerings that that relate to your shed business, right? Right. Carports and garages are a natural. I mean, and I'm blessed to have Eagle Carports, you know. Uh, for that, I've had a long relationship with them. I'm the number one guy in Kentucky. Not bragging, I've been doing it a long time, and I just do it working, and they it surprises them because they go, you know, they got a lot of online dealers, they don't have any kind of locations anywhere. And uh they go, hey, you know, you're not online much. I'm like, no, I don't depend on online, man. It's mostly people that come to my location, right? And it blows their mind too. And uh, but uh you have to have a wide range of stuff. So, me and you, we operate a little different than a lot of people in the shed business. A lot of people are just dealers with one company, and that company won't allow them to sell anything else, you know, any other kind of sheds or things like that. So that really puts them at a disadvantage.

Cord :

Well, and that's it's interesting you put it that way, uh, Charles. And I don't know that I mean this is week number six here of hosting the podcast. I don't know how many enemies I want to make here. But you know, like I hear, I hear from different dealers around the country exactly what you just said, which is they deal with the manufacturer um and they are uh not allowed to sell other products, to which I just always have to ask, you know, now am I misunderstanding your relationship here? Like, are you not a 1099 independent contractor who either owns or leases that property in your name, right? I mean, I hate to be like this, but you know, there's a lot, there's a lot of manufacturers out there in the world. And, you know, if we're sitting here and this has been a recurring thing, um, you know, we we've had three, four, five weeks in a row where people continue to say, diversify, diversify, diversify, right? Meet your customers' needs, be able to offer them a solution to all, you know. I mean, I know that that uh Tyler kind of deals in bigger buildings probably than maybe you do there in Elizabethtown, but you know, broadly, be able to have that customer's dollars two or three or four different times. Charles, you've been in it long enough. You should be getting your customers' kids' dollars.

Charles Hutchins:

You know what I am. I am. Yeah. But uh, you get people that come to me and they're over and over customers, man. They now buying carports, you know, garages and polylumber. I mean, yeah, uh, it's just nice to have those. It keeps people interested in you, you know what I mean? Yeah, and uh, but yeah, you're right, man. I'm doing business with some people's kids now.

Cord :

Yep. Well, what would you say to those, you know? I mean, again, not to just make enemies out of like the big five or whatever you want to call them, but like what would you say to those independent dealers, Charles, who say they won't let me diversify the stuff on my lot?

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Charles Hutchins:

They won't let me. Um well I don't want to cause any problems. I don't want to I don't know. I know I get it. I get it. Because I've been on the other side of that before. You know what I mean? And uh, you know, um I would I would encourage them to work with people if they're working with big companies, find some local Amish people, find some smaller companies to work with in your area if you can. If you know, that's what I would do. That's what I did. I mean, I I've had big companies come to me, oh we'll do whatever you want, you know. You know, and I'm like, well, I'm covered right now, but I appreciate it. But I know that some of these companies are not gonna allow certain things that I do. And to me, I'm kind of a renegade in this business, okay? Yeah, I'm kind of an independent uh businessman. I like to run things my way, but I do it in a fair way, right? And I have, like I said, multiple vendors, two or three shed vendors. And what they worry about is well, you're gonna sell one over the other one, the other one may be offered more commission. No, I don't care. I make less commission on some deals because that's what the customer wants. Right. Here's the deal zero percent of anything is zero. That's right. Oh, I would like to make a little, you know. If I didn't have that particular shed, I wouldn't have sold it. And uh I think some of these companies are a little greedy and they're well not greedy, they're wanting to protect their brand.

Cord :

Yeah, yeah.

Charles Hutchins:

Here's the deal you're gonna protect it if you have the mindset, I'm gonna go after the best people I can find. And they may have other vendors there, but I want to be a part of that. Yeah, I think that's where the business is gone. Yeah, I really do. Yeah, and I was fortunate enough, my wife and I, we bought, you know, I leased lots my whole life. And in 2016, we found that location you came to, bought it, and we just paid it off in March. So awesome. I don't have to worry about that ever again, right? That's one thing off the off the books. That's right. After paying it off, I'm suffering from two broculosis, though. You know, can you all help me with that? I'm glad you all wanted to move.

Cord :

It's amazing how a payment will motivate you, Charles.

Charles Hutchins:

Yeah, we were just like, let's get this knocked out and be done with it. So maybe we don't have to worry about that ever again. It's done. I mean, it's free and clear, and that's a big deal for me, you know.

Cord :

Oh, absolutely. Yeah absolutely. Well, I was that's kind of where I was steering next, but I think you kind of answered it. But you know, just flip that perspective and say, now if Charles got to have a uh, you know, uh a closed door meeting with you know, whoever decision makers for those big five or big ten, what would your advice be to them about, you know? I mean, to me, it's really hard to keep ambitious people from being ambitious, right? Well and if you want if you want Charles Hutchins or you want the guys who are the next Charles Hutchins, right? Like, how would you advise them to deal with their dealers in a way that allows their dealers to you know make money?

Charles Hutchins:

I'd be I'd encourage them to be open-minded. And I see a lot of these companies, they'll set up a multiple network of dealers. Out of 50 dealers, they may have 10 that really do well, right? And they spend a lot of money setting up lots, taking lots down. My whole philosophy would be let's go find the best people you can find that that are independent, kind of like me and Tyler, right and work with them because if they're doing all that on their own, it's probably you know, they say success leaves clues. There you go. Be more open-minded to try and some of these deals and don't worry about if you if you're that confident in your brand, your brand is gonna do great, right? Right? That's the whole thing. Have confidence in your brand, and I think that's what a lot of people don't have. They're not confident that they can put their uh buildings on a lot with another competitor and feel good about it. They think they're getting robbed or the salesman's doing something underhand, and he's making more money on this one than they are that one. The customer decides what they buy, by the way. Yep, you know, so let them choose. Um yeah, there's a lot of money wasted, and I've seen it, man, over the years. It's like a lot of pop-up, a lot of be gone within five months, and that's crazy. That costs a lot of money for these manufacturers.

Cord :

Oh my goodness. Can you imagine just the hauling? I mean, even if you even if you manage to make out even on your inventory, which you probably don't by the time it's set out and everything else, but even if you do, just the cost in hauling it, and so Tyler's coming from this from a little bit different perspective, GM of a manufacturer there, um, you know, I know that you all haven't sort of taken that that multiple uh you know, multiple location approach. Um, you know, but how does how does that advice sound to you? I mean, to me, it sounds like exactly your ethos. You're just not exactly kind of pushing in that direction. Uh, Tyler, what are your thoughts there?

Tyler Mayhan:

So, I think you guys are exactly right. Um so Charles at Better Barnes, we have a different approach than a lot of manufacturers, which we're a small company, man. We're just southern Oklahoma, North Texas is about all we do. Uh at one time, though, of course, and I don't know, I don't think we talked about this earlier in our other conversations, but uh at one time we had about 30 display locations across Oklahoma back in you know in the in the early 2000s, uh, and we really spread with the DCR network and kind of had that vision. And what Charles alluded to is exactly what happened. I mean, you go set up a yard and within a few months you'd need to you'd need to move them because well, multiple reasons. Sometimes it's just because you wouldn't make any sales. We've had you know situations where we have people selling buildings to customers, taking their down payment and never telling us about it, you know. And so you get into all kinds of things. Uh I really wish, Charles, what I wish was that the things that we're talking about could be trained into people, but if you don't have the character like what you're talking about, like I I'm convinced, even though you and I, I mean, we're just business acquaintances, we know each other through the industry, but I've seen you in it long enough that I'm convinced that the people that you're selling for feel comfortable that you're not doing the things that they don't want you to do, you know, undercutting or this or that, because you're a person of integrity, right? I mean, I feel like you are, yes, and so really, and I feel like this conversation just keeps looping back to the same point here. But yeah, there's so much of this in the industry, it's like to the manufacturers, Cord, I'll answer your question that you asked Charles too. If I could sit down, you know, some of those guys are my friends. I know some of them pretty well. So if I could sit down and talk to them, I'd tell them the number one thing you need in dealers is you need to find the right people. Forget location. That is not nearly as important as the right person. 100%. If you find the right person, you know, if which we're not trying to get out there where you guys are located, right? But it wouldn't bother me a bit to put my Butter Barnes buildings on Charles' location, right? It wouldn't scare me a bit because he's the right kind of person. And that's the kind of people you need to find. It would be better for you to put your buildings out there where there's competition with the right kind of person taking care of customers than it is to have it over here with no competition on the lot, but with a a salesperson that's stealing from you, lying to people, not taking care of people. Yes.

Charles Hutchins:

I totally agree with you. And uh like the old thing saying goes, I'd rather have five great dealers than a hundred dealers mediocre that I've got to worry about and worry about the money. If you got to worry about money, them taking money, oh my goodness, look at the risk you're taking there. Yeah, you know, because what they do reflects on you, you know, in a way. Um, yeah, yeah, absolutely. I just uh I see the industry moving in that direction, but for a lot of these uh people, you talk about the big five, I kind of have an idea who you're talking about. Change is hard for everybody, yeah, you know, and uh I think whoever out of that big five breaks away and starts doing things like that, you'll start seeing more people do that. Um, people is where it's at, not locations, like Tyler said, it's people. You got great people, you're gonna do something, you're gonna make some noise, you know.

Cord :

Yeah, well, and there's a there's a big investment, you know. And look, I come from this world, I get it. I mean, I've pitched people on uh brand investment, I've pitched people on brand strategy, right? I mean, I've executed a lot of it. Uh, you know, in a past life, grew a franchise from zero up to 17 locations in about uh you know 18 months, uh two years, right?

Charles Hutchins:

I'm gonna hire you right now on the spot. Thank you. Just let this podcast is going to work right now.

Cord :

No, no, you know, I've but I'm just saying, I've been on that sort of I've been on the brand side of it, and I know how closely people hold that. But if we're being honest, in this industry, the nature of lots and the way that people shop and the way that it's a big physical product, right? Like you may not want to hear this, but people want to buy from people want to buy a Charles Hutchins shed, people want to buy a Tyler Mahan shed, right? Much more than they want to buy whatever you think your brand value is. Um, and I'm right here from probably um because they had a big first mover's advantages, one of the best regional brands uh Cook Portable warehouses, right? Um, you know.

Charles Hutchins:

So they got an Anna, Illinois.

Cord :

Uh yeah, right there in Cobden. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, just right near Anna. Um and then the headquarters wound up in Heron. Um, but I mean, my goodness, like they were they were ahead of the curve both on just being in the shed industry, but then the branding. They did a great job. Um, but at the end of the day, those aren't cook portable sheds anymore, right? That that territory has been that territory has been sold. Um, you know, my understanding in talking to some of the dealers uh is that it's going to be called Woodmaster, um, is going to be the new territory. But I guess my point is, is, you know, that that network had probably, I would hate to guess, $300 million worth of brand investment in this sort of tri-state, tri-state Illinois, Missouri, uh, West Kentucky, West Tennessee, Southern Indiana, right? That sort of home territory of Cook Portable Warehouses. And, you know, it's just as good of a brand as it was, again, people want a Charles Hutchins shed. And like, you know, the more that the industry realizes that, you know, the more even the people who are, even the companies who already have a big lead, that is going to continue to be an advantage just to sort of do that people searching type of a thing, you know.

Charles Hutchins:

Absolutely.

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Charles Hutchins:

Correct me if I'm wrong. Cook used to intrigue me way long ago. Were they really big into the uh T-111 buildings on and really big on the rent-to-own deal?

Cord :

Uh yes, definitely the T-111. Obviously, I was not around um whenever you know the how that to see how that rent-to-own uh grew out of there, right? Um I was pretty good. Uh yes.

Charles Hutchins:

They would come into a market, they would bring trucks, and they would come in. And I remember in Kentucky back in like um 2005 and six, I believe. Uh, I was in Shelbyville on some business, Kentucky. And all of a sudden, man, here's these cook trucks, like two or three trucks with inventory going to set up a dealer over there. Right. It's like bam! I thought this that's they got the ticket right there, man.

Cord :

Oh, it was a show. It was a show.

Charles Hutchins:

Uh I was amazed by it, to be honest.

Cord :

Yeah. Oh, well, we're getting up against our normal episode time, Charles. But man, I just know you are such a good storyteller, and I know that that you have uh such interesting experiences and customers. Maybe if you wouldn't mind, would you care to take us out on uh take us out on a story? And it can be funny or it can just be some something where you're able to really solve somebody's problem. Just tell us how the master, the master of shed sales, you know, what's your best story you got for us, Charles?

Charles Hutchins:

Tons of stories. Um let me think. Let me think, let me think. I had a lady one time, she came in asking all the right questions. We get down to the nitty-gritty, and she's like, now I'm not buying this unless you can guarantee me. I'm not gonna have any mice in my village. I was like, ma'am, I can't do that. You know, I just there's no guarantees. I and I told her, I said, you could go to a two billion dollar house, and guess what? A my a mouse may get in there. I said, but let me guarantee you one thing. I will guarantee you this one thing. And I found out she likes going on vacations like down to Florida and Disney World. I said, I'll guarantee you, you'll never open that door. Mickey Mouse will be waiting at you. How's that? She laughed. Look, there it was. There you go. There you go. That's one story. I mean, I got a million. It's like when you get put on the spot, I can't think of anything really.

Cord :

That's all right.

Charles Hutchins:

That's why we'll 30 years worth, and I can't think of anything.

Cord :

That's why we'll keep that's why we'll keep having you on, Charles. Yeah, man.

Charles Hutchins:

I'd love to come on each time. I'd like to talk with you guys, you know, sometime. Uh, if you have any ideas for we can all work together because what you all are doing is so important. You're bringing continuity to an industry that's really fragmented, right? It's a lot better than it used to be with the Shed Expo and all the things going on now, but uh it's still really fragmented out there. It's like the wild, wild west, you know. Yeah, and I think it's gonna be like that a little while until things you know get a little bit more uh what's the word I'm looking for? Um uh I'm not saying cookie cutter, but the industry as a whole is recognizing what's going on out there, right? Yeah, and we're talking about that like we're talking about now, the brands that don't want you selling other people's buildings. That's on the forefront now. I mean, people are really thinking about that, you know, and they're thinking about do I do wholesale or do I do can you know consigned law? There's a lot of questions out there, right?

Cord :

You know, but yeah, absolutely. And until it, and you know, I think uh even maybe as we get into the first of the spring sales season might be a good time to revisit Charles because you know it feels to me like uh we're in a season here where um you know after the sort of the COVID boom and then uh all of the inventory coming back through, used inventory, repo inventory coming back through. And now we've seen what I think is very likely, and I'd really like to get some good data, projection data on this, but unfortunately I think most of that probably lives in the RTO world, and they're not always big on sharing. Um but I'd love but it feels to me like you're probably having a either you know below average growth of actual units being sold while you while you are increasing profit, right? You're selling them at a higher price, so you're getting that increase of profit. And what that means for an industry in the short and medium term is that you have consolidation. Um, and so you know, I think that as we get into the spring sales season, even here over the winter, you know, maybe there'll be some headlines about uh, you know, uh this company buys that company or whatever else.

Charles Hutchins:

Yes, that you're gonna see more of that going forward too, because companies are buying other companies. I mean I always ask in my presentations, I rate I say, raise your hand if you got into this business in the last five years. You raise your hand, I go, Congratulations, you got into it at the zenith. You're a little bit confused on how this thing's gonna work because now you're gonna have to really work for some sales again, right? Right. See, even for me, man, during COVID, it was like they didn't care what they got it, how much it was, it's like when can I get it? Or they didn't worry about the price or how much it was, when can I get this building? It was crazy, you know. But I I'll tell you this uh I knew enough about the industry and I had some uh experiences and though this isn't gonna last forever.

Tyler Mayhan:

Right.

Charles Hutchins:

Take it while you can. That's one of the big reasons I paid my lot off. You know what I mean? Those few years there, and uh, but I do I do good every year, but I'm saying those years were just phenomenal. But what's cool is like uh he was saying, you're not selling as many units, but for me, the units are bigger and more profitable. Does that make sense?

Cord :

Oh yeah. I think I think that that, I mean, I'm glad to hear that from you because you know I think that you're very representative of what that sort of what a high-level independent dealer, you know, is aiming for, right? And so, you know, I think if you're seeing that same trend, I mean, I think that that's what we're that's what we've been hearing across the board, um, which to me says there are going to be some consolidations because ultimately if you're sort of if that real growth in units is either staying the same or kind of underneath what average growth had been, then that just means that the good operators are going to continue to buy up, you know, market share, right? So um, you know, but anyway, Phyllis, we are right up against it. I would love uh to talk to you again, Charles and Tyler, if you wouldn't mind to join me. I think this is a good uh you know uh trio here, uh, maybe to do like a spring, you know, spring sales check-in or something. Um, man, just reach out, guys.

Charles Hutchins:

I'm yeah, I'd love to be on here. You know, this is great. Yeah, I think everybody in the shed business needs to be on this. I mean, that that's an honor to be on here. You get to talk about the industry. It's just so it's such an advantage, you know what I mean, just to be chatting with like-minded people about what's going on in our industry. And I appreciate everything you guys do.

Cord :

Well, thank you, Charles. I'm trying to uphold the mantle here. Um, you know, keep having good conversations, keep connecting people. Uh, Tyler, thank you so much again. Uh Shed Business Journal Contributor, uh GM at Better Barnes out in Paul's Valley, Oklahoma. Charles Hutchins, Shed Coach, Shed and Carport Pro in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Now offering stray cats so you don't have mice in your buildings. I love it. Yeah, come on down.

Charles Hutchins:

Straight cats. Yes.

Tyler Mayhan:

No Mickey Mouses.

Charles Hutchins:

No Mickey Mouse. Can I say this, Dower? Your wife is in our prayers, okay?

Tyler Mayhan:

Thank you very much. Yes, just uh she is doing pretty well. Uh the cancer, we found the cancer back last year in uh October. So it's been right over a year. Uh went through chemo, radiation, all the stuff at the first part of this year. But yeah, I appreciate that, Charles, a lot. But she she's doing pretty well right now. Uh, I told folks, you know, there for a little while. I was texting, you know, a lot of friends and people across the country updates every few days, and I I finally told them after a while. I think there's some other problems more serious than ours now. So I'm gonna back off a little. You know, it's like seemed like we kind of got through the hard part of it.

Charles Hutchins:

So, things putting things in perspective, man. And uh man, I just my heart goes out to you. If you need anything, let me know. Uh I'm here to pray for you. Anything you need, brother.

Tyler Mayhan:

I appreciate that a lot, Charles. I really do. Yeah, absolutely.

Cord :

This industry I echo that, Tyler. I know we've said those things to each other as well, but I mean, you know, always continue to think about you and her and appreciate you so much, man.

Tyler Mayhan:

Yeah, thank you guys a lot. This industry's been extremely supportive. It's part of why I love being here, man. I could have gone other places, but this industry's just got top-notch people in it.

Charles Hutchins:

Yes, absolutely, man. Absolutely. Thank you guys for all you do, and uh, I look forward to talking to you in spring.

Tyler Mayhan:

Let's do it. Great. All right, thanks, Charles.

Charles Hutchins:

Listen, one more I want to close you with this. We can't get lazy. We got two months left in this year. That's right. We got to close these months off huge and go into have big momentum going into 2026. Yeah, people take off at this time. Now it's time to work even harder than you ever have.

Cord :

That's right. That's right. Call those customers, get those referrals, chase it down, chase it down. That's right.

Charles Hutchins:

Because my wife has Louis Vuitton's and Mazerati's device, so I got to get on this, right? Thank you so much. I love it, Charles. Thank you guys for it. All right, see you guys.

INTRO:

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