Identity Over Price: Rich Harshaw Shares the Marketing Blueprint Helping Contractors Win More Leads and Close at Higher Margins

Level 10 Contractor CEO Rich Harshaw joins Power100 CEO Greg Cummings to show why contractors who lead with identity—clear proof of who they are and why they’re different—are outpacing competitors still racing to the bottom on price.

Rich Harshaw, CEO of Level 10 Contractor, has spent more than 30 years studying marketing and customer psychology. For over two decades, he has focused deeply on the home improvement industry, helping remodeling and home services companies grow beyond ten million dollars by building systems that generate and convert high quality leads. His approach centers on one powerful idea. If customers do not clearly understand who you are and why you are different, they will default to price.

Through his event, Operation Lead Surge, Rich is opening his playbook to contractors across the country. His mission is simple. Help ethical, serious companies communicate their value with clarity, confidence, and proof so they can stand out in a crowded and competitive market.

This exclusive PowerChat conversation was hosted by Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, the nation’s only third party unbiased ranking platform for home improvement companies. Power100 exists to elevate strong leadership, spotlight real innovation, and give a voice to the CEOs who are shaping the future of exterior remodeling and home services.

By bringing Rich Harshaw onto PowerChat, Power100 continues its mission of highlighting the ideas and leaders who are moving the industry forward. The conversation dives deep into the real challenges contractors face today and the strategic shifts required to win in a competitive market.

A Market Under Pressure: Competition, Confusion, and the Summer Slowdown

During the PowerChat conversation, Greg Cummings opened with a reality many contractors are feeling. The market is not what it used to be. Summer brings distractions, vacations, tighter budgets, and more competition. Leads feel harder to generate. Closings feel slower.

Rich Harshaw did not sugarcoat it.

“Lead gen has always been hard. It has never been easy. And honestly, I think it is getting harder now,” said Rich Harshaw, CEO of Level 10 Contractor.

According to Rich, the industry has matured. Twenty years ago, there were many small mom and pop contractors and only a few serious competitors. Today, there are far more well funded, highly trained companies competing in every market. That means bigger budgets, stronger ads, and more noise.

Instead of being one of five ads, contractors are now one of one hundred.

At the same time, customers believe they are more educated because they can search online. They can read reviews. They can compare brands. Yet Rich pointed out something critical. Most homeowners have never bought a roof before. They have never replaced their windows. They have never remodeled a kitchen.

“They do not even know the right questions to ask,” Rich explained.

This creates confusion. Customers look at multiple brands that seem the same. They hear claims of high quality from every company. When everything sounds alike, the decision often falls to price.

Rich warned that when contractors advertise mainly discounts and promotions, they train the market to shop based on price alone. Over time, this weakens trust and margins.

Watch the full PowerChat episode 👉 Watch the full PowerChat episode with Rich Harshaw

The Identity Advantage: Teaching Customers What Quality Really Means

The heart of the PowerChat centered on one powerful concept. Identity.

Rich believes that most contractors are not struggling because they lack quality. They struggle because they fail to communicate their difference clearly.

“What I am trying to help my clients do is create a foundation for all of their marketing that is based on identity,” Rich shared. “Communicating with power, precision, and passion who you are, how you are different, why you are better, and what people can expect.”

Instead of vague claims like “we have the highest quality,” Rich teaches contractors to prove it in ways customers can understand.

He shared a simple but powerful example from one of his remodeling clients. Rather than saying they use better materials, the company explained that their faucets weigh ten pounds because they are solid metal. Many competitors use lighter, plastic versions that weigh only a pound and a half.

“If you want a remodeling job that weighs right, call us,” Rich said, describing the campaign.

At that moment, the customer understands quality without needing technical knowledge. The contractor is not arguing about price. They are teaching the homeowner how to judge value.

Rich calls this overcoming the “curse of knowledge.” Contractors know their craft deeply. Customers do not. When contractors assume homeowners understand industry terms or product differences, the message gets lost.

Identity based marketing closes that gap.

It does not just improve one channel. According to Rich, it strengthens everything. SEO performs better. Social media becomes more engaging. Pay per click converts higher. Sales presentations feel stronger. Follow up systems become more persuasive.

“If you do not have identity integrated in your marketing, you are automatically running at fifty percent capacity,” Rich stated.

For contractors willing to do the work, the reward is clear. More qualified leads. Higher conversion rates. Stronger margins. And a brand customers trust before the sales rep ever walks through the door.

Operation Lead Surge: A Hands On Workshop, Not Just Another Event

As the conversation moved forward, Greg Cummings asked the question many contractors are thinking. Why host an event and open the playbook to everyone?

Rich made it clear. This is not a surface level keynote. This is a working session built for real implementation.

Operation Lead Surge, taking place September 11 and 12 in Philadelphia, is designed as a roll up your sleeves workshop. Contractors will not just listen. They will build.

“I do not just want to show people what identity is,” Rich explained. “I want to show them how to actually create it and integrate it into all of their marketing.”

Attendees will receive a structured workbook that walks them step by step through identifying their company’s strongest identity points. Rich teaches five core pillars of identity which include products, workmanship, bedside manner, core values, and culture and reputation.

From there, the event moves into seven key lead generators such as SEO, social media, pay per click, TV, referrals, and more. The focus is simple. Every channel must reflect identity.

Rich also introduces what he calls the Lead Conversion Engine. It goes beyond speed to lead. It focuses on what is said in texts, emails, landing pages, and follow ups.

“What text are you sending?” Rich asked during the PowerChat. “What if it educated them before you even showed up at the house?”

The goal is not just more leads. The goal is better leads that convert at higher margins.

Who This Event Is Built For

Greg pressed further and asked who should attend. Is this for small contractors, large companies, or everyone in between?

Rich was direct.

“If you run a semi crappy company, this is not going to work for you,” he said plainly.

Operation Lead Surge is built for ethical contractors who genuinely care about delivering value. It is for leaders who want to grow the right way, not through pressure tactics or short term thinking.

The sweet spot, according to Rich, is companies in the five to twenty million dollar range. These businesses already have momentum. They are spending money on marketing. They are generating leads. But they know they are not telling their story well enough.

It is also a fit for smaller companies with strong craftsmanship and reputation who have never learned how to scale their message.

On the other hand, businesses built purely on aggressive, high pressure sales tactics will not benefit from this approach. Identity based marketing requires real substance behind the promise.

What Contractors Will Walk Away With

This is not a one idea conference. Rich described success in a powerful way.

“Your marketing team is going to hate you when you return,” he said with a smile.

Why? Because attendees will leave with more than inspiration. They will leave with frameworks, scripts, messaging angles, and systems that can reshape their entire marketing strategy.

Rich has also built in long term follow up. Select ticket levels include twelve months of group Zoom sessions where attendees can bring their ads, scripts, and campaigns for review.

“You are going to have the framework to do it,” Rich said. “And then you are going to have the follow up opportunity to run what you create past me to fine tune it.”

The outcome is clear.

More leads.Higher conversion rates.Stronger pricing power.Better alignment between marketing and sales.

Identity moves contractors away from competing on discounts and toward competing on value. 

What Makes Operation Lead Surge Different

There are many events in the home improvement industry. Most offer ideas. Few offer full systems.

Rich pointed out something bold during the conversation.

“I have been doing this for thirty years, and there is literally zero other people preaching this particular flavor of the gospel,” he said.

Operation Lead Surge is unique because it focuses on identity as the foundation of every marketing channel. Not as a slogan. Not as branding fluff. But as a measurable, teachable system.

It connects psychology, messaging, SEO, social media, pay per click, referrals, and in home sales into one unified strategy.

Instead of chasing the two percent of homeowners who are ready to buy today, Rich teaches contractors how to influence the larger group who are thinking about buying but have not yet made a decision.

That shift alone can dramatically increase opportunity.

For contractors who are serious about growth, Operation Lead Surge is not just an event. It is a strategic reset.

Industry Impact: Raising the Standard of Marketing in Home Improvement

The PowerChat conversation between Greg Cummings and Rich Harshaw did more than promote an event. It challenged the industry to think differently.

For years, many contractors have competed on price, promotions, and surface level claims of quality. Rich made it clear that this approach weakens the market over time. When every company sounds the same, homeowners default to the cheapest option. That race to the bottom hurts margins and trust.

Identity based marketing changes that path. It teaches contractors how to clearly show why they are different and why they are worth their price. It helps homeowners make smarter decisions. It reduces confusion. It builds confidence before the sales appointment even begins.

“If you do not have identity integrated in your marketing, you are automatically running at fifty percent capacity,” Rich stated during the PowerChat.

That message carries weight across the entire home improvement space. When contractors lead with clarity, proof, and integrity, the industry rises.

Through platforms like PowerChat, Power100 continues to spotlight leaders who are not only growing their companies but also strengthening the standards of the market itself.

A Clear Call for Contractors Ready to Lead

Operation Lead Surge represents more than a marketing workshop. It represents a shift in mindset.

Contractors who attend are not just looking for more leads. They are looking for alignment between who they are and how they show up in the market. They want higher margins without compromising integrity. They want to stand out without resorting to gimmicks.

Rich summarized the opportunity clearly.

“You are going to have the framework to do it, and then you are going to have the follow up opportunity to run what you create past me to fine tune it.”

For contractors serious about growth, the message is simple. Stop blending in. Stop competing only on price. Build identity. Communicate it with power and precision.

To learn directly from Rich Harshaw and see the full conversation, watch the complete PowerChat episode here:Watch the full PowerChat episode with Rich Harshaw

Explore more industry leadership conversations on the Power100 YouTube channel:Power 100 Leadership Conversations

And for contractors ready to attend Operation Lead Surge, visit: Operation Lead Surge.