“We have a very knowledge-based sales process that customers go through so they’re able to get introduced to a significant amount of product and a great deal of information about the product,”
Elenbaum notes. “We educate them on the pros and cons of each product so they can make a better decision.” But large amounts of quality product cannot do anyone any good unless it’s sold. That’s why Elenbaum says that one of the key differentiations between DeckStore and the competition is its viewpoint towards sales.
“One of the key points is we have the ability to sell products; we’re very sales driven,” Elenbaum says. “We don’t have an order-taker mentality—it’s a sales organization. We employ some old school tactics as far as procuring new business and prospects, but also some very new technology-driven approaches as well.”
Though Elenbaum states that the company does utilize a mixture of broadcast advertising, including radio, he states that a majority of sales generated is due to old fashioned cold calling, along with Internet and social media opportunities.
And when a new salesperson or team member is hired, he/she is usually paired with an employee for peer training to learn the company’s values and procedures.
While employing quality people is an ongoing challenge for LBM companies across the U.S., Elenbaum explains that when he is looking for a new team member, he often personally goes out and finds the right person. “You never know when you are going to find a superstar, but when you do, you have to grab them. I like to find them and hire them on the spot.” Nevertheless, when hiring opportunities arise, the first prospective candidates are always current staff members.