Missy Scherber, president of T. Scherber, a Minnesota-based demolition, excavation and waste management company, stood in front of 160 women at the 2025 Women in Construction Summit, hosted by Werk-Brau, and bared her soul.
An attendee at the conference in Findlay, Ohio, in 2024, she wasn’t even sure she’d make it to her speaking gig this years.
“I had a really difficult Q4, the most difficult in my 11-year career in construction,” she confessed. “I don’t want to present my growing, learning self. I want to share my best self. But I’m accountable to these amazing women. So I’m here today to grow and learn with you.”
Why? Because she considers the fact that women only account for 14% of those working in construction “a disheartening statistic” – but one that can be overcome. “We’re paving the way for our daughters,” she says.
No matter where you are on your career journey, Scherber says, honing these five soft skills will serve you well in sales.
1. Proactive Problem-Solving
If you get to mid-level management in sales, women only represent 40% and that drops to 32% at the senior level, Scherber says. Part of the issue is how women employees are classified within the organization, especially if they’re problem-solvers.
“Women sit in the back by the warehouse and take all the orders. They call us operations managers because we handle the process from start to finish,” Scherber says.
Put it in action: If you’re a man in an organization that does this, reconsider how you title and classify employees – inside sales is sales. And for women in this position, remember that one of your customers is your sales manager because they help you grow your career.
For anyone in this role, problem-solving starts with problem identification. Ask lots of questions about where a customer wants to grow or what they hope to achieve with a project. Be open to constructive criticism along the way. “Rapid response is important and a big customer called me out on it. He said hey I know you’re busy but your response time on email isn’t on par. I had to have a timeout – before being offended – to ask what kind of response time is acceptable to this customer.”
2. Customer Relationships Through Active Listening
It’s important to find the happy medium between what the customer wants and is asking for and what they need. You find that by listening and building rapport.
“Male buyers want fleet efficiency, balance sheets, safety records, operational processes, profit margins,” Scherber says. “I can get them those numbers from the controller or OSHA inspector. The unique thing I bring to the table is my authentic human skills. I get to know their business, their family, their goals, how I can be of service and how to be best connected with them. Know where the customer is professionally and personally and show up.”
Put it in action: Scherber created $29 million in sales and supports 40 employees because she built relationships with customers so that they became loyalists. She says if you’re in sales, get to know what the customers care about outside of work and foster honesty not tactics. “They can just say if they’re going to renew or not or if they have a problem,” she says. “They know we’re going to spend our time together going to the rodeo not cutting deals.”
3. Communication Through Storytelling
Entire industries will be automated in 10 years. Human skills will not, Scherber posits, “AI can’t replace that. Hiring more women, that is the innovation the industry needs when this industry is so excited about technology.”
Scherber started in construction when she fell in love with her husband, Trevor, and they started a his (demolition and excavation) and hers (hauling and dumping) family business. She quickly realized it was a man’s world, and the only way to earn their respect was to show she knew her stuff. She started learning from her team about POs and warranties and moved on from there. It earned her respect inside and outside the organization.
Put it in action: Tell your story – as an individual and as a company – on social media. Start with a simple story, “your daily doings.” Use it to talk to mom friends about jobs in construction and recruit more women. Just don’t let the comments cripple you. “The architects and designers are on social. The dirt guys need to be, too.”
Scherber also said it helped to hire a photographer to come take headshots and action shots of all the staff, not just leaders. The drivers and operators with their equipment are on the website, social channels and on the walls in the office. “It’s not just women in the business who are unseen. The men in the field are, too,” she says.
4. Emotional Intelligence
Have you ever asked yourself “why do I find it so easy to give my team credit but I struggle with giving credit to myself?” Scherber’s audience at the summit sure had. That’s a sign of high self-awareness, a hallmark of emotional intelligence. “Bring who are you are and who you’re becoming into your daily doing,” Scherber says.
That active listening skill helps as much within the company as with customers. “As a mother, I heard the other mothers saying we want our kids to see this place. We started hosting readings of construction books and kids’ days.”
Put it in action: Spend time with the guys in the shop or in the field, and get to know them and their ideas. “I started doing ride-arounds to learn and it helped me build admiration. Now when I get a complaint on the phones, I don’t just say, ‘Oh yeah, you’re right.’ I say ‘OK, we’ll fix this, but can you also show some appreciation for our driver? He’s shown up for you every day for years without a single issue.’” The honesty built with customers goes both ways.
Another idea Scherber shared was the occasional “job switching day,” where those in the office and those in the field get to swap or sit side-by-side with their peers and find out more about their roles hands-on.
5. Authentic Community Relations
Tip No. 5 is all ideas, in part because it combines the soft skills you practiced in the first four tips. Bringing the community (your prospects, customers and their buying collective) into an authentic relationship with you and your business.
Put it in action: Skip the gold shovels and ribbon cuttings at groundbreakings or new openings. Invite kids instead. “When we are your excavator, we bring in this groundbreaking ground breaking. Social media loves it. The news comes out because we’re involving kids. We did it once and got 3 calls the next day about new work.”
You can also find a ways to give back that don’t cost a lot but do generate buzz. T. Scherber has a “Do Good Dumpster” that is donated to nonprofits. On social media, people are rewarded for posting when they see it different places and it drives more interest.
This last idea is one that works but can also be daunting, even for Scherber after all these years: A Meet the Estimators Event. It’s great for top contractors who you’re hoping to do business with as a sub or GC for instance. But it does mean putting yourself out there for tough questions in a group setting. “With any event think step-by-step. Don’t try to predict responses or outcomes. Get in your zone, get it done,” Scherber advises, “then go home and hug your babies.
“Dig in and you can drive change”
Learn about the Women in Construction Summit ahead of next year by viewing Werk-Brau’s “WIC Week” Instagram Featured Stories.
View the original article and our Inspiration here
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