Building Better Relationships in Construction
This podcast series provides actionable strategies for construction professionals to elevate their business by prioritizing strong relationships. Emphasizing trust, transparency, and genuine connection as the foundation for success, the book introduces the "Relationship Bank Account," a framework for understanding how interactions build or erode goodwill. Based on the book: Building Better Relationships, a Guide to Enhancing the Customer Experience for Home Builders, Remodelers, and Construction Managers by Paul Schwinghammer
Episodes
19 episodes
Setting Specific Expectations
Episode 19, “Setting Specific Expectations,” explores how clear, detailed expectations are essential for trust, smooth execution, and a great client experience in construction. Drawing from the book Building Better Relationships, Alex and Sabri...
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10:32
Attending to the Little Things
Episode 18, “Attending to the Little Things,” explores how small actions create big trust with construction clients. Drawing from Paul Schwinghammer’s book Building Better Relationships, Alex and Sabrina explain that minor details—dust...
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9:36
Listening Well—The Power of Truly Hearing Your Customers
Episode 17 of “Building Better Relationships in Construction” is entitled: “Listening Well—The Power of Truly Hearing Your Customers." Effective listening is more than hearing words; it’s actively engaging with clients, acknowledging feel...
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10:35
Managing Anger to Strengthen Relationships
Episode 16 of “Building Better Relationships in Construction” is called Managing Anger to Strengthen Relationships, and explores how managing anger can strengthen relationships on job sites and with clients. Alex and Sabrina explain that ...
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9:09
How to Fire a Subcontractor and Maintain Respect
Episode 15 of Building Better Relationships in Construction covers Chapter 15 of Paul Schwinghammer’s book: “How to Fire a Subcontractor and Maintain Respect.” The hosts outline Paul’s “Fire, Then Affirm” approach: be direct about the decision,...
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9:09
Write it Down!
Episode 14 of “Building Better Relationships in Construction” focuses on the deceptively simple habit of “Write It Down.” Alex and Sabrina explain that visible, consistent documentation—during meetings, walkthroughs, and phone calls—is a powerf...
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10:41
Getting Credit for a Mistake
Episode 13 of “Building Better Relationships in Construction” explores the concept of “Getting Credit for a Mistake.” Alex and Sabrina explain that this isn’t about celebrating errors, but about earning trust by owning them. Using a carpet tran...
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9:22
Responding When Attacked – The Power of Disarming
Episode 12 of “Building Better Relationships in Construction” unpacks the concept of “disarming” when you feel attacked. Alex and Sabrina explain that in high‑stress construction settings, the instinct is to argue, justify, or shut down when a ...
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9:01
Apologizing for Withdrawals—A Key to Maintaining Trust
Episode 11 of “Building Better Relationships in Construction” explores how apologies can repair “withdrawals” from the relationship bank account. Using Paul Schwinghammer’s framework, Alex and Sabrina explain that withdrawals are disappointment...
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7:25
Creating Space When Clients Go Off The Deep End
Episode 10 of “Building Better Relationships in Construction” explores how to handle clients who “go off the deep end.” Drawing from Paul Schwinghammer’s book, Alex and Sabrina explain that when a client is highly emotional, logic and explanati...
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8:55
Thanking People for Their Criticism
Episode 9, Thanking People for Their Criticism, centers on handling criticism to strengthen relationships in construction, based on Paul Schwinghammer’s book. Instinctive defensiveness erodes trust; the counterintuitive move is to sincerely tha...
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7:58
Gift Wrapping the Situation
Episode 8 explores Paul Schwinghammer’s “Gift Wrapping the Situation,” a simple communication technique for elevating client experience in construction. Instead of silently fixing issues or completing extras, teams should humbly tell clients wh...
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9:35
Be Strict, Then Give In
"Be Strict, Then Give In" technique from Paul Schwinghammer’s book, Building Better Relationships. This strategy helps construction professionals manage tense moments, such as picky drywall inspections, without damaging client trust.
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7:58
The Power of Over-Communicating "What is"
Episode 6 of Building Better Relationships in Construction explores why over-communicating the present is the most powerful tool builders have. Alex and Sabrina explain that silence during uncertainty—like waiting on custom windows—cre...
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8:11
Clear Communication with Subcontractors
Episode 5 of "Building Better Relationships in Construction" focuses on fostering strong relationships with subcontractors through effective communication, inspired by Paul Schwinghammer's book. Alex and Sabrina highlight the "relationship bank...
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11:41
Small Issues and Big Relationships
In Episode 4 of the podcast series "Building Better Relationships in Construction," hosts Alex and Sabrina delve into Chapter 4 of Paul Schwinghammer’s book, titled "The Luce Block – Small Issues and Big Relationships." They introduce a story t...
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9:03
Welcome to Building Better Relationships in Construction Episode 3
In Episode 3 of "Building Better Relationships in Construction," hosts Alex and Sabrina explore the concept of a "Relationship Bank Account" from Paul Schwinghammer's book, emphasizing its significance in the construction industry. The metaphor...
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9:17
The Power of Personal Communication in Building Trust
Episode 2 emphasizes that consistent, proactive personal communication is essential to building trust between construction managers and homeowners. While digital tools like texts and emails are useful for logistics, they fall short in creating ...
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9:13
Welcome to Building Better Relationships in Construction
Welcome to today’s episode of Building Better Relationships in Construction. In this episode, we explore the foundational idea that success in home building isn’t just about constructing quality homes—it’s about building strong, genuin...
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8:38