- Find other subs who are willing to transparently share with you the good GCs they have found. (This doesn’t really happen in the lump sum world.)
- Take a trip to the GC’s place of business so you can observe the mood, culture and organization of their space. This can tell you a lot about how they operate.
- Assure your GC that you are an extension of their company, where they can turn their back and know you’re doing everything you need to do. They want to know that you stand by your word, represent the firm effectively, will take care of the client, and that you embody those behaviors in your company’s core values/code of conduct. These won’t happen overnight, however, if you pour in this type of attention to detail, you are sure to differentiate yourself from the pack. Operational excellence and client care are some of the lowest hanging fruit you can readily offer to a GC, and you should.
- Don’t go out of your wheelhouse and accept work you haven’t mastered. If you don’t have the right technicians for it, don’t do it. Part of finding the right GC is finding the GCs with the right work for you. Bigger or different opportunities will come with the right circumstances, with the right GC, based on merit, and backed by your increased results, courage and confidence.
- If you are not able to deliver in the anticipated or expected timeline, be honest, and bow out. You will gain more respect from your GCs that way without losing any further opportunities. The last thing GCs want is for you to say yes, but then fail to deliver.
- When you win a project, don’t just celebrate, interrogate. Find out why they chose you, and where your numbers stood in relation to other subs. The right GCs will be transparent with you.
