Tough Call: Enforcing a handshake agreement
After years of an exclusive with a product line you helped build on a handshake agreement, the vendor is now selling it to your biggest competitor. What would you do?
Tough Call: The developer and the red flag
A developer who's proving to be less-than-honest is offering the potential for a lot of material sales. What would you do?
Tough Call: Something’s gotta give
You suspect that a couple of your top people are starting to burn out, but they disagree and keep asking for more work. What...
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...
Tough Call: The challenge of moving forward
As a young, motivated college grad, you're frustrated that the LBM dealer you went to work for has no interest in change. What would...
Tough Call: The unwelcome price setter
A key vendor is marketing product—and prices—directly to a big builder customer, taking pricing control away from you and killing your margins. What would...
Tough Call: The case of the poor project manager
A large, high-margin customer expects you to come to the rescue with immediate deliveries because of his poor planning. What would you do?
Like LBM...
Tough Call: Attack of the low-cost competitor
A supplier from another market has moved into your territory and is using low pricing to capture business from your long-time customers. What would...
Tough Call: When different isn’t better
The new manager's new ways are creating conflict and hurting your store's performance. What would you do?As the owner of a four-location LBM dealer,...
Tough Call: The case of the non-effective employee
A long-time employee's performance declines as the years go on. What would you do?
When you took over as general manager of your company three...