Eight things to look for when hiring a sales manager
Having an amazing sales force is one of the most important aspects of an LBM company. With the amount of competition out there, it’s...
Real Issues. Real Answers. The installed sales option
Selling products is one thing. Selling them and installing them is another thing altogether. Whether you’re installing for homeowners, or providing installation services for...
Get creative when faced with inventory shortages
I think a lot of decking materials dealers saw it coming, at least here in the upper Midwest. The economic outlook, the housing and...
The LBM adventure
If the lumber/building material industry is a roller coaster (some would argue convincingly that it is), then keep holding on, because the adventure’s not...
Being a leader for our industry
In April, I attended the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., for the first time. All I...
If your business fails, what will be the likely reason?
Based on my experience, when a business fails, the reason can almost always be traced to lackluster earnings or too many lackluster personnel on...
Get to give
Get to give. That is the answer to the price objection and, yet, many salespeople have never learned this fundamental lesson in Sales Negotiations...
In Depth: Roofing systems
Product performance and energy efficiency dominate in today's roofing world.There was a time when roofing materials weren’t paid that much attention to. Most homeowners...
S.W. Collins celebrates rich history in Maine
A lot of lumber dealers may have their names on the sign on the front of the building. Not many, however, share that name...
Tough call: The case of the complacent salespeople
As a group, your salespeople have stopped pursuing new business, because the company is already doing well. You need to shake things up. But...