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"There has been a buzz for a number of years about customer relationship management (CRM) in the construction supply industry," writes veteran LBM consultant Chris Rader. CRM is more than just technology, however, its also about information says Rader.
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While LBM dealers' sales are seasonal, some variable costs, and all fixed costs, are not. Smart dealers are using their time effectively managing resources as sales usually decline during the winter season.
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Employ some Cajun country wisdom to help your business grow.
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Have you ever tried to raise your margins and realize that the resistance doesn't come from your customers, but rather your employees? If you are going to improve profits and you can't continue to cut expenses, you need to focus on your margins.
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It's June and your hopes of a homebuilding revival are wilting.
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This White Paper, commissioned by Progressive Solutions, warns that dealers who have not embraced the Internet and all its delivery points—PCs, laptops, smart phones, wireless tablets, PDAs, and e-books—are in danger of losing their customer base.
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Quoting projects are similar to unwritten Cajun recipes in that the ingredients change over time. As you find something that tastes good, you tweak it. These recipes differ greatly, just as dealers quote projects differently. Here are some ideas that you should consider when quoting jobs and taking...
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During some recent travels, "Rader's Edge" columnist and LBM consultant Chris Rader saw how little things can cause a big difference in the impression one gets from an operation, be it a hotel or a lumberyard. Here are his tips on how to make sure your store is crispy, not crusty.
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Columnist Chris Rader says that creating a "Contractor Dog House"--a place at your store for contractors to relax, drink coffee, watch sports on TV, and generally relax--is a great way to build sales.
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Today's LBM market faces such tough obstacles as sliding sales, sliding margins, difficulty in controlling expenses, swings in commodity prices, and customer extinction. All need to be confronted and conquered. But before you launch willy-nilly into battle, I recommend you take several steps back...
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The last "Rader's Edge" was about a doorman and his ability to understand your customers and make them feel welcome. I compared this person to a person to a doorman at a hotel and suggested you employ a doorman to make customers feel welcome. This was all about incoming business. This column will...
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All LBM facilities should take a cue from five-star hotels and other operations by having a doorman, Chris Rader says. This person might seem to be little more than a greeter, but he actually can help bring customers back and keep your profits flowing.
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A Red-Yellow-Green report is designed to bring attention to items that you will run out of in seven or 14 days.
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If you want to free up cash, reduce your inventory.
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Too often in our businesses, we are attracted to providing the lowest-price solutions for a customer in order to make the sale, columnist Chris Rader says. In this article, he reveals a sales technique that will not only help land more sales, but land higher margins and gross profit dollars.
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"Rader's Edge" columnist Chris Rader believes more deals are done on the golf course and in a fishing boat than in an office. And the deals that are done in a more fun-filled setting are more likely to concern something other than price. Here's how to entertain your way to profits.
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There is no doubt 2009 was a tough year. But we must put that behind us and move forward.
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In his "Rader's Edge" column, Chris Rader reflects on the ways LBM dealers can break out of stagnation and become crisper in their marketing, pricing, and delivery of products to customers. Where and how did he do this? At the local mall, creating a pink stuffed unicorn with his youngest daughter.
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Columnist Chris Rader lays out 10 common-sense ideas and strategies to implement in 2010 to help boost profits and make your customers and vendors happier.
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The relationship between the vendor and supplier can't be taken for granted, "Rader's Edge" columnist Chris Rader says. A strong vendor supplier relationship can not only outflank the competition, but it can also ensure profits. This time, Rader describes a partnership between a vendor and a dealer...