Shed Geek Podcast

Selling Sheds With Simple Systems

• Shed Geek Podcast • Season 6 • Episode 26

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A shrinking market doesn’t have to shrink your sales. We sit down with Canadian dealer Adam Bruno to unpack how he turned uncertainty into momentum using simple systems, steady follow-ups, and trust‑driven videos that make high‑ticket shed and cabin shells feel safe to buy—often without ever meeting the customer in person. Adam walks us through his journey from spreadsheets and crossed wires with his dad to a clean homegrown CRM and a daily rhythm that keeps quotes moving and phones ringing.

We dig into the tactics that actually convert: short selfie intros, calm one‑take walk‑throughs on YouTube, and clear calls to action that push viewers to call or request a quote. Adam explains why he bypasses 3D configurators for many 40+ buyers and instead gathers details on a quick call, returning a custom quote that reflects regional realities like spray‑foam floors, dual‑pane windows, 2x6 walls, and upgraded overhead doors built for brutal winters. That local expertise becomes the edge, especially when buyers are choosing the person they trust over the logo on the brochure.

You’ll also hear how he trims automation to what helps—timely emails and text nudges—while keeping the human touch for late‑stage deals. Small details matter: logging travel notes in the CRM to ask “How was Mexico?” weeks later, answering calls at odd hours across time zones, and following up faster than competitors. We explore growth paths with higher‑margin add‑ons like hunting blinds, ramps, or stoves, plus the power of filming real‑world installs at lake lots and cabins to let prospects imagine themselves inside the build before they buy.

If you want a practical blueprint to sell more with less chaos—especially when demand softens—this conversation gives you the moves to make now. 

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

Making Sales Simple
CAL
PlayMor Playsets
Ifab

INTRO

Hello and welcome back to the Shed Geek Podcast. Here's a message from our Studios sponsor. Let's be real. Running a check business today isn't just about building great checks. The industry is changing fast. We're all filling the squeeze, competing for fewer buyers, while expectations declining. And yet, I hear from many of you that you're 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 contract, 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 payments, and schedule delivery in one clean work. No more double entries, no more back-and-forth payments. And instead of taking down paperwork, you're actually running your business. And if you mention Shed Geek, 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.

Listener Lines And Community Updates

Cord

At this point, putting out some really good, helpful videos on shed sales professionals. Before we get rolling, just a couple of quick things to help the help you listeners stay plugged in. Of course, the Shed Geek call-in line, Shannon cell phone is 618-309-3648. You can email us anytime. Info in fo@ShedGeek.com. Of course, we always have the contact forms up on the website. So do not hesitate to reach out. The Shed Sales Professionals Group, just like we talked about with Adam, uh contributing to that. The call-in line for any of you out there listening who know someone in the playing community, know a neighbor who would appreciate being able to call in versus uh having to use a web-based application. That is 330-997-3055. So, with all that out of the way, uh today I'm joined by Adam Bruno. Uh Adam, as I as I said when you first jumped on, good to have a fellow curly-haired man on the podcast. You know, we're coming back in fashion.

Meet Adam Bruno: Origin Story

Adam

Yeah, well, it's a trend, it's taking over now. You even it's kind of uh they call it a modern mullet. It's uh flow cut. Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's easier to maintain. I probably need a haircut like every two and a half, three months. So that's that's really nice.

Cord

Cost cutting, cost cutting, really.

Adam

Exactly.

Cord

Yeah, it's all business, it's all business.

Adam

Yeah.

Cord

Um, well, you're from uh you're from Canada. I was sharing with you that uh my wife is also from up there. That is also a great hockey playing haircut that you've got there. Um, you know, so so fitting in fitting well in well up in your your home country. Tell us a little bit about yourself, Adam. I think you've been doing a great job on shed sales, just sharing some good knowledge uh and really trying to help people out. Tell us who you are. Uh tell us how you got into sheds. You're obviously a young guy and you've come at this with a ton of enthusiasm. So hit us with it, man.

Building A Sales System And CRM

Adam

Yeah, for sure. So a little bit about me. I did um I was in business marketing there at uh university, and my dad, he kind of came to me with this. He was in contact with the shop manager here in Alberta, and he kind of saw this, what they're all doing, and asked to become a dealer. And we got some buildings on our lot there in June of 2023, is when I was first kind of introduced to this. I was like, okay, what the heck are these things? Like sheds, buildings, what do you even consider them as? Right. And then in September, I was still in school, university while doing this, but I posted like a couple marketplace listings, expecting like some amazing things to happen. Like, you know, you reply, and then people are instantly wanting to buy from you, which that's just not the case, right? You gotta you gotta work your leads. Like, I'm I've never done sales before, so I didn't know what to expect, right? Um, but yeah, I saw that then and then graduated at the end of that year, then and then 2024 was a bit interesting. I was trying out some local marketing things here in uh Edmonton and seeing what kind of stock, but nothing was really picking up, but still doing my own thing here, and then in summer 2024 is when I really started to get involved with the sales of the sheds, so really dove into it, was on the phone with these people all the time, and a lot of the times I didn't know any of the answers, like people would ask me over the phone, and I I had to say I didn't know I don't know any of this, like even what skids are they, like even the basics of that stuff, right? I didn't know any of this. Um, and I would have to call up the shop manager, talk to my dad about that, like what's up with there. So me and my dad were doing that then for 2024, and we had some good months, like pretty good months there sometimes in the summer. Um, but we didn't really have a sales system put in place. A lot of the times, like we'd be sitting at the dinner table together, and then he'd be like, Oh, you're talking to this guy, and then I'm like, Yeah, I'm talking to this guy, and he would be talking to the same person, and we'd be talking to two people like the same person and trying to sell the same guy, yeah, a unit. But uh doubling your chances, really, you know, yeah, doubling them exactly. If he doesn't, if the guy doesn't like one person, he'll like the other, right? So, but yeah, so it was it was pretty bad how we had it organized and stuff. So then in uh in January of 2025, I kind of looked into starting like some systems or like a CRM, and I just ended up building out my own. And it's worked it worked really well there in January. I was just kind of getting it set up. February then started launching ads, so paid traffic, Facebook, Google, um, bringing them to we weren't doing the landing page at that point, it was just basic Facebook forms, which you get a lot more bad quality, yeah, spam, it's easy to do. You need more friction, right? Um, but we stuck with that then. In February was a really good month, and then yeah, so 2025 was a great year, just selling the sheds and did it mostly remotely. Like I was able to travel around for about five months of the year and still reach some pretty good numbers, and yeah, so that's pretty much where I'm at now, and now I'm helping other people as well too with the system. So allowing other people to try it out, use it, and then see the results that it can bring other people too.

Cord

So yeah, absolutely. Well, you know, one of the things that I think is most interesting about your story, obviously, you're a young guy. Um, you know, you you have cut really come into the shed industry. Now, you know, you may be a little um, you know, not nearly as saturated, I would think, up there, uh, you know, in Edmonton, just the the nature of Canada being so much so big and so spread out anyway. But you know, you're coming into the shed industry in a time when most people would describe um the decline as or the the demand as declining, right? People who have been in this thing for you know, however long, 30 years, 20 years, but particularly the last decade, really refer to this industry as, you know, kind of pre and post-COVID, um, uh especially in the states, uh, you know, but really everywhere. That sort of COVID uh stimulus that went into the world economy, uh, really, you know, that then allowed people to kind of make some bigger purchases, especially big consumer purchases. Um, you know, so I think you coming into this at a time when, you know, longer served people would maybe say, oh gosh, right? Adam came into this thing at the exact his timing was awful. He came in at that at the as the the the you know the other side of the bell curve or whatever, right? Yeah, but to me, um, you know, I think this really just represents how much opportunity there is in sheds, especially whenever you early on, you know, be an early adopter of those systems, of the things that are able to maximize your efficiency and ultimately maximize your sales, and and then of course, uh your profit, right? And and make it something that is is good. So, you know, maybe, you know, I don't know how much uh I know you obviously interact a lot with folks online, but maybe just give me a perspective like what is it, what does it mean to you to be coming in at a time where others may be like, oh gosh, man, just pick something else, and then you're you're diving in. And I mean, I saw saw the post, right? You're diving in having a 412K while you're while you're on the beach in Brazil, right? Like

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Ad Break: Making Sales Simple

Adam

Um, but I always stress then too, you just got to be the one to stand out, the one to offer. Like, there's there's 11 other dealers in Alberta that offer the exact same. The pre I'm a premier dealer, so premier portable buildings sell the exact same buildings as us, but you got to be the one to stand out to them. So some things that I do is one, I'm following up with these people all the time, calling them, one thing, too, instead of just texting them or being a random name behind a screen.

Cord

Real relationship, a true relationship, exactly, exactly.

Stand Out With Relentless Follow-Up

Adam

And I mean, all of well, I don't say all of 95% of my sales, I never actually meet the client. So, as you mentioned there, like in Brazil, it was that was our best month yet. Um, in the month of October, it was I sold 256,000 Canadian in the month, and it was like it was just talking to these people, following up with them. And I was probably working maybe an hour, two hours a day. But again, it's just you gotta systemize it. What are the inputs that you gotta put in? What you got to do every day? So for mine was like let's say half an hour just sending out quotes, email quotes to people that inquired, then following up on text messages, marketplace listings, redoing ads, um, and then calls too, right? So staying on top of them, uh, and then also being always available. Like, I mean, that's just kind of the life of a of a sales guy. You you you have to a successful sales guy, exactly. Successful sales, yes, that's a good thing to say. Yeah, if you're not answering your phone, you're not gonna be making many sales. Like, there'd be times where I was at the beach, and it's like, do I want to be answering a call right now? No, not really. And the thing is, too, uh, where I was there, it's four hours ahead. So sometimes I would be on the phone closing a sale at 10 p.m. at night, right? And it's just it's 6 p.m. back home. You gotta be ready there to make those calls, right? So I think it's it's just a matter of staying on top of these people, following up with them. When you get leads in, gauging where they're at, and then marking it in your system or if you have a system to follow up with them on certain dates, right?

Cord

So you know, I think, and also to your point there, you said, you know, working one to two hours a day, meaning like being fully engaged or on the phone, right? You know, of course, there's the look at your phone, scroll, scroll an email or whatever, but like the the ability to do that, I have found, and and I think that it's becoming more and more true every day, and it also goes to what that marketing strategy, uh, you know, the the broader strategy is, but I think the more comfortable a person feels with um Adam, right? Or Cord or whoever that salesperson is out there. And I think that there's an opportunity, and some kind some really independent dealers more so than than like big B brand manufacturers, but certainly independent dealers seem to be doing a good job, some of them, of getting their face, their voice, um, you know, and really, you know, their tone of voice, right? Calm and confident, and just telling you what's going on and building the initial trust through a screen, so that by the time your your automations or whatever text you have going out, right, by the time it actually gets to the point where they're ready for a call, they feel like they already know and trust Adam. So maybe talk to me a little bit about you know how you approach that that pre-I don't even know that there's good terms for all these things yet, right? Like we haven't got into an era where that's all well defined. I would call it like a you know, a pre-relationship trust building where someone, you know, it's not about the the brand, right? I mean, it's not about trusting McDonald's, so to speak. Like they literally trust Adam and then gets on the phone. So maybe talk about your approach to to how you see some of that.

Video-First Trust Building

Adam

For sure. Yeah. So one of the biggest things that I utilize is videos. Um, that's something that I learned while I was in school and something that I still think is extremely important for every single business, let alone when you're trying to purchase. Like, I know some dealers they don't sell super high tickets, but some of the sales that I do, they're all the way up to $40,000 for a single unit. Yeah. And so when you're trying to get someone to give you their credit card number to put in a $20,000 order online when they haven't ordered it, you got to make sure that they're like, okay, this is a legit business. You're gonna get your product, right? Like all these things. So some of the things I do is make YouTube videos, and they're I posted them on the Facebook page before, too. Just stressing just basic, simple videos of it starts off with like a selfie view. I show my face, usually 10 10 seconds in the initial bit. Hey there, this is Adam with KGH buildings. Here we got a 16 by whatever, right? You just kind of basic. They see your face, they hear your voice, and then you go walking through the unit, which if you think about it, them watching that video is them going there to your sales lot or your uh your shop and walking you through the building with them, right? So you're you're explaining it all except just over the internet, right? So it's it's important to utilize those tools that we have with online stuff to be able to sell these units, right? Um, so whenever I send out an initial email to anybody, they get the link to our YouTube channel, and then I try to send them two videos of similar models or styles to what they're looking for. And instantly they're like, I mean, we're not going for viral views here, right? Like we're looking for a couple hundred people, but you're looking for the right maybe a dozen people to see this video. Exactly. It's not like you're trying to blow up, you're looking for the people to just watch it. Okay, that's what I want. And the amount of times I get onto a call then with someone, and they say, Oh yeah, I saw that in that video. I want it like that, or I like that feature. You I know you mentioned that in your video. Um, and I'm like, Yeah, perfect. So it it's not like I'm even sending these people like uh, or they're already pre-sold on something that I showed them in the video, right? And they get to see that with me too.

Cord

And and there's a repository there, right? It's smart to host those types of things on YouTube because you can send a very specific you write it. It can be, you know, from a sales point of view, right? You're you're you want the customer to feel that you are just being helpful, right? Here is here is the the unit. Um, you know, here's a little bit about uh, you know, are you able to go to I think the manufacturing plant for premieres close to you, right? Are you able to go down there and do some of that?

Adam

Yeah, exactly. So uh a bit about us too is we have, I think we got four units on our lot right now. I'm never at the lot, and the units we we maybe sell, I think last year I sold like five in-stock units. Like it's not like that's what we're pushing, we're always pushing custom just because it's especially up here. Lots of people like spray foam floor insulation, insulated windows, like or dual pane windows, like that kind of thing, right?

Cord

Yeah, right.

Adam

Um, so I always I always go to the shop typically maybe three, four times a year. Just make the drive down there, you bring your phone out, and uh go out there, you talk to the guys at the shop, and then you go see what's out there in the yard. And I mean, it's all pre-ordered peak buildings, but I mean use it as content, right?

Cord

Absolutely.

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Custom Builds, Cold Climates, And Content

Cord

And something your customer, especially, you know, not everyone, you know, not all the listeners are are necessarily ultra close, although I'd say within three or four hours, most everybody is. Um, but again, to your point, the the confidence that it gives your your customer whenever you are walking through the place where these things are getting built, right? When you are showing what a a shed bay looks like, um, you know, you're building their confidence for exactly what you're saying, right? This guy at least is building sheds. So if he's gonna take $20,000 and run, or you know, like at least I know that there's a physical location where they have you know sheds being built, um, you know, it it builds that whole trust uh that you need with the client. And again, using uh YouTube as the repository means that you send the specific model, but once they land, right, they have a whole catalog of other videos that they could then you know click through next or or very likely, you know, the way YouTube is would probably be suggested to them next, right? So that that they can, again, to your point, from a sales perspective, you're showing them the building, just like you would on the lot. But from a psychological perspective, before you have ever had any real meaningful contact with them, I presume that it's most of that is automated on the the style side where you're sending the videos that are are uh you know uh similar to whatever they're looking for, then by the time you're on the phone, they might have already felt like they had, you know, a 15 minute conversation with you. Exactly. They're in the same situation me and you are right now where we're just We're just talking.

Adam

Exactly. You want to make them feel comfortable, like you were saying earlier, and them watching those videos, you're it's like you're already on the phone with them for that amount of time, right? They know your name, they've seen your face, they know your voice. Yeah, um, that's that's just a big thing for sure. Huge.

Ad Break: CAL Platform

Dealer Brand vs Manufacturer Brand

Cord

So maybe this is uh a little, I don't know, I wouldn't call it controversial, but you know, just poking poking a little bit at the industry itself. So, you know, like you're doing a great job on the dealer side. Um, you know, there are obviously brands uh within the industry, and I would say Premier is one of them, um, you know, along with the rest of the big five, big six, you know, kind of wherever you want to put that cutoff now as as some of these companies really grow. You know, where do you feel like um the onus is because they want to have that that brand, right? They want people to show up and ask for their brand of building, but realistically, the the work that independent dealers are doing, like they're as of today, people are much more likely to ask for a shed from Adam Bruno than they are to ask for any shed by by brand name. So I guess my question to you is like, you're obviously doing good work. I'm sure that you may even have conversations and and and you know have a have a dialogue, you know, with Premier specifically, but I don't want to pick on them. I just mean like from that big brand perspective, you know, how do you how do you see this industry evolving? Because as you said, the the demand, you know, the long-term demand actually looks like it's gonna start to creep back up. Um, you know, there's definitely gonna be some consolidation and smoothing. There's going to be an opportunity in the next 10 years for uh a couple of these companies to really break out um and and have the potential to be a household brand name uh if everything, if they play their cards right. So give me your give me your perspective, and I'll uh and you can be as as light light-handed as you want. You know, obviously you don't want to you don't want to make uh don't want to make the manufacturers bad.

Adam

No, no, I definitely agree. Like, I mean that's the thing. It's that's you want to be personal with it. And I know the big thing is too with uh like we don't have one of the mock-up generators online, we don't use that. I don't I never like selling sending people to that just because you don't have a 3D at all. No, the reason why I know it's that's also probably pretty controversial. Like we do that, obviously, Premiere has their own, right? But uh my tar like I'm not I'm targeting people 40 plus, right? People 40 plus don't typically love technology, um, not to offend anybody, but um, like and and a lot of 60-year-olds too. And I mean, are they gonna go on to there and try to figure out exactly what they want? I'd I'd much rather spend five, 10 minutes on the phone with them, listen to what they want and get the quote for them and do that up myself, right? Um, but I think to that point though, too, smaller manufacturers that's are more uh offering a more centralized. So let's say there's some uh I don't know, like an Alberta-only manufacturing plant. That's they they're just located there, that's just what they do, that's their brand, that's that's all. They're not Canada wide, US wide, whatever. I think that that would be a great, great way to branch out for sure.

Cord

Yeah, that's almost what it takes, right? That's kind of what I said. I said a couple of weeks ago on the podcast that the the trouble with really trying to establish um that that um nationwide branding for a product that is so uh varied, you know, in what that what the actual product needs are. I mean, you're sitting here talking about you know $20,000 and $40,000 custom builds. Well, you're in Canada, right? People are getting the the insulation number one. They're getting the premium products to make sure that the thing can actually stand up to the weather. But I would presume that for a lot of people, they are cabins that they they kind of have retreats up there, you know, further, you know, I'm not sure where they're coming from or going to, but but yeah, you know, places that are kind of uh off next to a lake or in the woods or or things like that. Am I right about that?

Adam

I mean, I'm just yeah, no, like so lots of people that's a that's a big thing too. Like, I mean, lots of people do buy these to live in them, and so they need those, and up here it gets to uh minus 40 Celsius, so minus 40 Fahrenheit, same thing. Like, that's a really cold day, but uh I mean, even right now it's still pretty cold. That was like minus 13 Celsius today, but uh they they need like two by six studs for the walls, right? They they need floor insulation, um, and that we do spray foam, close cells, so it's it acts as a vapor barrier too. And then a lot of people they're looking for just like the base of it, right? So we don't do any of the interior finishings. There's one guy that works kind of alongside our shop that does a great job doing the insides, but he's just kind of like a two-man crew that does that. So a lot of people here they do want to customize them to make them little retreats, like you were saying, and even even smaller units, like uh a 10 by 24. They they have that for their lake lot that they go out there on the weekend, go maybe ice fishing or whatever on in the during the summer, then they go out boating or whatever, right? That's one thing too. I I'm definitely going to do this year now is uh I need to make a little list of all the places that people have bought and then call them up and go visit them and record videos of them actually using the products. Because if you think if you think that videos of them just sitting on the lot would do well, imagine what the that would do for the client to visualize themselves in that unit.

Cord

In the cabin, in the wood with snow on the ground or or a fire fire in the the heat stove or whatever, you know. Exactly.

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Cord

You know, to that point, the challenge of being all things to all people from that that manufacturer's big manufacturer's point of view, um, to be able to sell, you know, effectively cabin style tiny homes more or less, or cabin style tiny home shells in your neck of the woods, and then sell um economy models that are effectively ultra price sensitive across the south and the mid-south, uh, and then get up into New England and have all of your architectural features. It's really hard to be relevant and have have that that trust building, that can that consistent branding and trust building with each of these different cultures and each of the the different products ultimately that you're delivering. I mean, you know, it's one of these things I've I've used um McDonald's and Burger King several times just because everybody knows, but you know, a McDonald's burger is a McDonald's burger, they're not trying to make you something different uh in Alberta because it's cold today or you know, like they're they're making the same thing, and you know, you do have you do have the the regional chains that then you know really hone in on their specific area, but it's just very challenging. Um, I've said it's the the challenge of kind of doing what you do on a local and a regional level, even because it sounds like you're probably selling what out to you know three.

Ad Break: PlayMor & Striker

Regional Needs And Options That Win

Adam

Yeah, I sell I sell out to uh BC and Saskatchewan as well, so British Columbia and Saskatchewan. So those are very similar markets in the sense that temperature-wise options that we offer, um, only the biggest difference is delivery with pilot trucks and all that stuff. Um, but yeah, I I mean I think that that really then lands on the dealer to, especially for the bigger brands, it lands on the dealer to differentiate themselves and show what their products are, what options they have, right? And that's a that's another thing that I use in the videos too, is to show the options, right? Because I mean, the the the number one thing that I always recommend to people is the we offer an overhead garage door instead of the standard roll-up garage door. So it's just it's a significantly better garage door. Um, and that's just something that our shop offers. And most of the like I know the the shop in BC and the shop in Manitoba where the lots of Saskatchewan come from, they offer that too. And that's just something that that's a localized thing, right? Like lots of premier dealers down down in uh the states don't have that option, so it's something that you got to show what you can do for your customer.

Cord

So yeah, absolutely. So, how do you see you know, obviously, you've you've done great. I mean, uh very quick growth. Sounds like you're posting some big numbers, you're about to roll into the spring. Yeah, what is what is this new uh this new young, this new age perspective on the industry? Like, what do you want uh KGH to be, right? Is is this a company that like if you want it to grow, does that mean footprint to you, or does that mean like really just expanding your your digital uh presence? You know, how do you see uh an independent dealer navigating growth, even even growth after you've you know you've had success? So, how do you what does that next layer of growth look like in this this modern era?

Adam

Yeah, for sure. No, that's an interesting point too. Like that's one thing we looked at getting into trailers last year, so that I know that's a big thing that lots of people do in the states. Um, ultimately, we decided not to do it just because of the one thing is like you need a shop for that, ideally, to if service trailers, if something breaks, right? You want to be able to deal with the customer, and then two in stock, you always want to people that want trailers want them in stock. But I think branching out to other, I've thought other product lines, higher ticket, not higher ticket than sheds, but like something higher margin, yes, higher higher margins, yeah, instead of just uh whatever commission, right?

Cord

Right.

Adam

Um, but like something even like wood burning stoves, that's something that lots of people ask about. It's like that'd be an add on ramps or um just something that would go alongside, and I I think that that's something that I want to look more into instead of because the sales process for the sheds, it's like you're you got to talk to these people usually at least three times. Sometimes I get the person where you call them up the one time and you you sell them right there, like but yeah, chance chances of that are pretty slim.

Cord

Right, right.

Adam

Um, but ideally something or other products that's they go and view the catalog online and then they click buy in their cart and then they buy it. Like some I know hunting blinds too are something that that lots of other people are doing too.

Cord

So yeah, shout out striker. That's yeah, strikers are like uh you know, exclusive uh hunting blind provider of uh Shed Geek podcast, shout out.

Adam

Okay, okay, maybe maybe you need to get hooked up with them.

Growth Plans And Focused Workflows

Cord

They're good products. They're whisper quiet, but you know, I think it's interesting that that's where that's where your mind goes. Um, because even from it sounds like your your perspective at least would be still minimal footprint, unless I'm because it sounds like you didn't do trailers because it was going to be that sort of inventory footprint, like shop, you know. So so you're still thinking we need to expand products, we're strong in our area, but then you'd be looking at at something that's almost probably more like a a wholesale warehouse type of a model, probably right, because you wouldn't want to order order one off uh wood burning stoves from a a company warehouse and deliver or something along those lines, and though these are just spitballing right now, like right now, we are just doing the the sheds, and I mean it's going well.

Adam

Um, but something in the future to think of to carry more product lines for for South. And I've seen some other companies here in Alberta that also sell sheds that sell other things that people out in the country when they have a lake lot or just a bunch of land just selling other things that they would want to have, right?

Cord

Yeah, yeah. No, I I've continued to say, you know, that the company that can figure out how to be it's hard to find like it's hard to think of a directly comparable um like rural king um or tractor supply. I don't know if you guys have have those uh you know up there, but basically that you know, something in the neighborhood of of a you know, for sheds, maybe call it a 15, 20,000 square foot, you know, like indoor, you know, showroom type of a deal, and then a lot of outdoor, and basically be that not just backyard, but really property, property structure solutions. Yeah, you know, something that can fit on, you know, two acres, two and a half acres, you know, you have it like laid out really nice and then a parking lot, um, you know, seems to be like what's winning for a lot of independent, um, independent, independent dealers and independent manufacturers who are just choosing to kind of have everything on site at their plant. Um, but it's interesting that even like as a you know, kind of digital first uh limited footprint type of a thing, like that's obviously where everybody's heads are going is like, let's just be the solution for whatever our customers need in their backyard, in their woods, right? In their, you know, uh on uh at their cabin, like whatever that sort of solution is that they need outside of the actual walls of their home and garage, let's just be the people who provide that, right? I mean, is that kind of I mean it seems like I know we're just we're spitballing, we're just percolating, but you know, it's just interesting to me that that's kind of where everybody's minds are tracking for.

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Adam

Yeah, no, that's interesting too. Like I haven't done too much research into that, um, but it'd be something that I'm like, I I've thought of, and it's just like you drive past a store that sells certain products, and you're like, I think that would go well alongside of our products too, right? And I mean, one thing too, then metal buildings, I know that's a big thing that people add on, and I think that that's something too looking at getting into possibly, but you probably have to do post frame up there, right?

Cord

Because the metal tube stuff is that I just I'm I'm never quite sure where that, you know, the snow uh there are they always talk about snow load.

Adam

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I'm not too too sure exactly. I haven't looked too much into that, so I can't I can't say for certain.

Real Conversations Beat AI “Slop” Videos

Cord

I know there's there's some kind of beefed up models, um, you know, where you have the the bracing closer together and everything else. I'm not gonna pretend to be a snow snow load expert either, but I've heard it talked about. Uh we should probably get uh uh Jared Ledford uh of the Steel Kings to come on and and do a little guest spot here on the show and talk about those type of things. But well, I think one of the things that that all um independent dealers out there you know are looking for eventually uh is really to to chase the type of of automated workflows that lead to the type of lifestyle that that you know you've kind of showcased here today and and be able to do the things you want to do, uh work for a couple hours a day in really focused time uh versus spending six or eight or ten or twelve hours of putting out a bunch of fires. So uh so what is what what does this year hold? Where what uh exotic locale are you going to be selling sheds from this year, Adam?

Adam

This this year is all Edmonton only. I'm uh I'm walking down the fort. Um even though it's it's tough now, I'm like, ah, it's cold outside. I want to leave because it's like I can leave. But uh no, this year I'm focusing, but going to Italy in July, which uh that'll be interesting because that's that's just like a family trip. I have family out there, yeah. So that's for fun, and then it'll be interesting with an eight-hour time difference.

Cord

But uh you're gonna have to be a night owl over there, yeah.

Adam

Like I'm uh or I think I'll just focus on more like the morning crowd, you know. Like uh I mean lots of these lots of these people, they'll they'll be up really early, and I mean you can you can talk to them then too, but we'll see what happens. I'll interested to see how that goes. But I think on the automation side and all that, too, it's just keeping it simplified. Like, I mean, you can automate as much as you want, but for me, in the beginning, when I was playing around with a lot of my system and trying to create it, I was like, okay, let's try to automate everything, let's try to do this, do that. But at the end of the day, then I I ended up taking out a lot of it in exchange for simpler systems and making it easier. And that's something I've said too on the Facebook page stupid simple system sell sheds or whatever it was. But like it's you gotta you can't complicate the sales process because really at the end of the day, it's they want to speak to somebody that's human, they want to speak to somebody that knows that can answer their questions, and I mean, like, there's lots of AI things that you can implement, but I just like keeping it clean, easy. A couple text follow-ups, a couple email follow-ups that they they go out automatically so that I don't always need to worry about touching base with these people if I forget. But then, too, when they're later on in the stages of possibly wanting to buy within the next couple of months, you don't want uh automated text going out to them all the time. You you want to be able to personally call them up. Like something that I always do is uh in our CRM, there's a notes tab. So I remember this clearly. There was a guy, he I called him sometime, and then he mentioned that he was going to Mexico. And so then I wrote in the notes, going to Mexico. So then next time I hop on the phone with him a month later, I bring up, How is Mexico? And he's like, Uh yeah, it was good. Like, and he's like, Well, how do you remember that? Right. So, and then that's also establishing that connection, making them trust you more, realizing that they're a person that cares about you and wants your business too, right?

Clear Calls To Action And Consistency

Cord

So man, it's crazy because I think. You know, you do good videos and obviously you're you're very straight to the point, stupid, simple system sell sheds, uh quad, quintuple S, I suppose. Um, you know, but but I think you know people would take that at face value and say, oh, well, you know, Adam, you know, if he's managing to travel the world and sell sheds, you know, he must just he must never touch these these customers until they're they're already ready to buy. But the bottom line is follow-ups, being a good salesperson, building trust, genuinely caring about your customers, like there's just not going to be a replacement for that, right? And and AI, I think, is is good for a lot of things now. It's it's doing good and and it can generate great ideas, it can generate great copy, even right. If you're if you're if you're writing a a post or you're you're a supplier, you know, like it's good at all that stuff, but but trusting it to uh act like a person, like it just it ain't that, you know. It ain't that so it's never gonna replace that, you know. And how do you feel about these uh these AI, you know, some people some people might call it slop videos.

Adam

Oh yeah, but I've I've said that. I said that too on my on the one video I posted, and I sent it, I sent that video to my dad, and he's like, Stop swearing in the video. Uh but but uh yeah, like I don't know. I I don't think AI for a lot of things I use it sometimes for images, but videos right now, uh it's just not good, in my opinion. To you, it just doesn't show it properly. Images, it's good to you send it a photo of your unit and then you tell it put it in this situation or whatever, add a add a truck in the building or whatever, right? Right, just to kind of make it look more lived in kind of thing.

Cord

So, I mean it's good for that for for photos, I think, but for videos, well, nothing nothing the customers the customer's expectation for a video right now is lower than ever. Like, literally get your phone out, hold it up at an angle, right? Talk to them like a person because nobody is expecting some crazy level of editing, or you know what I mean? Like it's it's really simple, like get three or four or five just good shots, and then just cut them together.

Adam

And if you it if you watch any of my videos, they they start out, like I said, 10-minute clip in the beginning.

Cord

10 second clip.

Adam

Sorry, 10 seconds, 10 seconds, 10 second clip in the beginning.

Cord

You lose people, you lose people.

Adam

I would yes, yes, don't do 10 minutes. No, do not do that, but uh 10-second clip there in the beginning. Introduce yourself, it's not high energy either. It's like yeah, it's like still and trustworthy. I exactly my tone is super quiet, calm, really, really slow too, because it's not like you're trying to blurt out a bunch of words at these people. Um, and then I'm just flip the camera around and then you go through the go through the model. Typically, I do it in one take. If you know your product, you should be you should have that spiel pretty much down pat. And then at the end of it, you want to throw in a call to action. Always want to throw in a call to action. So, what you you gotta direct the person that's viewing it what you want them to do. You don't want them to choose what to do because a lot of the times they don't know what they want to do, right? So and that's directing them to our website or giving us a call. Yep.

Cord

So simple, not not crazy stuff. Yeah, Adam, thank you so much, dude. Uh this has been a great conversation. Uh, in fact, I'd like to, you know, I think we should just make this uh whatever, you know, once once a quarter, once every six months, um, because I feel like you are um, you know, you're just you're you're in this growth phase, you're obviously enthusiastic, you're big on systems, but you're also big on all the stuff that all of the listeners are big on, which is like just do the job, right? Just just do the job. Now your point is, well, sure, but I can do the job with a lot higher volume of people if I have systems with a lot higher volume of potential customers if I have my systems on board, but yeah, then I'm gonna be at them, right? Then I'm going to be a salesperson who cares about my customers, who follows up and who puts the time and the work in, and is uh, you know, you know, uh whatever, walking away from from some nice pool, you know, uh in Brazil because the phone's ringing and like you gotta sell a shed in Alberta, you know, it's just gotta happen.

Adam

So you gotta do it, you gotta answer those marketplace listings within five minutes, emailing people, you know. Just easy stuff, and you can do it all from your phone, pretty much. So there's no ex no excuses why you can't, in my opinion.

Cord

Well, and enjoy Italy, and uh, I'm gonna mark it down here. I'm gonna make a note for myself. Adam is visiting Italy, and next time we talk, I'm gonna ask you how it went.

Adam

Okay, there you go. There you go, friends.

Cord

All right, Adam. Thank you very much for joining us today and listen in next time to the Shed Geek podcast.

OUTRO

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