Pay Plans That Actually Work: The Contractor's Complete Guide to Boosting Performance in the Trades

By Tom Howard

You've tried bonuses, spiffs, and commissions. So why isn't your team performing its best?

The problem may be your pay plan.

Pay Plans That Actually Work reveals why most compensation plans accidentally reward the wrong behaviors, frustrate top performers, and quietly cost owners millions in lost productivity, unnecessary payroll, and employee turnover. Home-service leader Tom Howard introduces six principles rooted in behavioral science that transform compensation into your greatest competitive advantage.

Inside, you'll discover how to:

Design pay plans that motivate the behaviors you actually want.Attract, retain, and reward top performers while encouraging underperformers to move on.Build trust with simple, transparent compensation systems.Customize pay plans for technicians, installers, salespeople, managers, CSRs, dispatchers, and office staff.Roll out a new compensation plan with confidence-without losing your best people.

Whether you lead an HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, garage door, pest control, or other home-service company, you'll get the tools to change what you reward-and change what your team delivers.

Perform better, grow faster, and become a place where great people want to stay.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HHTX1T7P
• ISBN13: 9798997093303
• Release Date: September 2026
• Publisher: Real American Grit Publishing
• Length: 198 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.5"