Home Depot has done a magnificent job of branding itself around the do-it-yourself (DIY) culture. The ads they pay a lot of money to run during major league sporting events emphasize this side of their brand with a quick and powerful punch line:
“More saving, more doing.”
Backed by gorgeous high-def videos of happy, confident middle class Americans smiling as they pot plants, design decks, and plan out new carpeting, Home Depot’s marketing efforts are indeed first rate. They know their target market, what triggers that market, and ways to get that target market to head on over to their closest store and buy materials for another project.
Because Home Depot knows a thing or two about their customers, they are also prepared to offer additional services to those people who show up to repaint a room or retile a bathroom — services to help them get their DIY project done faster. Home Depot knows more often than not people will discover the project they saw on a YouTube channel or in a magazine is more challenging than they first believed — and along with that, the desire for the end result is so strong, they will do whatever it takes to get it — fast.
Not to worry! Home Depot is ready and willing to help in this case, too.
I refer to this situation as the “Time to bring in the professionals” phase of a project and it’s as applicable to the weekend home project warrior as it is to executives in the C-suite. In our homes and in our offices, we are living in a project-based world with demands that often outweigh our capabilities.
Contrary to some popular perceptions, however, it’s not a sign of weakness or incompetence to admit a project is more than you want to do yourself or perhaps, over your head. If you don’t have time to address certain aspects of a project, or you would simply rather hit a round of golf with some key prospects than work on the project at hand, calling in reinforcements is not only necessary, but demonstrates extreme intelligence, too.
It’s good for business, for the bottom-line, and has been known to save a marriage or two over the years.
I’ve been on both ends of this spectrum — as a DIY-er and as the CEO of my own business. I can say with 100% confidence that the secret to long-term peace of mind, greater long-term success, and results that exceed my expectations on projects that are core to moving forward is to know when I can (and should) do something myself — and when bringing in professionals is the better choice.
It is the rare individual who can do all the things needed to complete a complex project. If you’re tired of the chronic headache from banging your head against the wall on projects you’re trying to do all by yourself, it might be time to first, figure out why you’re insisting on doing it all yourself and then second, hand over the reins and bring in the professionals.
