-
There are infinite ways to gain new business. We took two new paths last year at Gordon Lumber–one analytical, one human–and as a result pushed our sales up 21%. Here's how we did it, starting with the analytical approach.
-
You can't succeed without a top-quality sales staff, Jim Sobeck argues. Here are his tips on how to find stars.
-
It's easy for salespeople to become discouraged in a stinking housing market that drags on and on, but this is the time of year when whatever positive is going to happen finally begins to happen. It's the time of year to "set the hook" and begin to reap the benefits of all of the work you have done...
-
Lives are not at stake in the housing market's crash but livelihoods are, consultant Ruth Kellick-Grubbs says. Her recommendations: Prepare for the worst, tighten operations now, work fast, get creative and think big.
-
If you have ever failed to achieve a New Year's resolution, it's probably because you didn't come up with a process to achieve your goal and measure your progress. Suppose you wanted to lose weight. A trimmer waistline is the goal. The effort it takes to get there–in this case, an exercise regimen...
-
Anytime you gather a group of managers together, the conversation usually evolves to bad hiring decisions everyone has made at some point in their career. You know, the employees who later turned out to be drug addicts, thieves, liars, cheats, and traitors. However, I think a new discussion needs...
-
There's no such thing as a free lunch, even if you're the one serving it up. High fuel prices make the adage particularly apt for dealers who could use to lose free delivery charges. LBM exec. Don Magruder advises on the costs of staying with the status quo.
-
It's June and your hopes of a homebuilding revival are wilting.
-
Here's a key concept that could make the difference as you struggle to survive now, grow later.
-
Like many Americans, columnist Don Magruder worries about this nation's dependence on imported products from China. Unlike many Americans, he and his lumberyard are doing something about it by creating a Buy American campaign.
-
Lots of now-old LBM operations started off as something else. Kuiken Brothers, our Dealer of the Year, began as a home builder. Other companies used to cut timber. Still others hauled coal. But all evolved in response to community needs and opportunities.
-
During home building's go-go years, banks loved us. We had cash flow (profits and liquidity) and we had collateral (assets
-
You shouldn't be surprised when the LBM operation where you work suddenly closes, veteran lumberyard manager Don Magruder says. Here are 10 warning signs that should tip you off before you show up one morning and find the front doors padlocked.
-
It might seem counterintuitive, but the best way to avoid sales crises and frenzied selling tomorrow is to do more prospecting today.
-
10 reasons why LinkedIn is a great way to use social media as a sales tool.
-
Many of the stories in April's ProSales echo a similar theme: To succeed, you need to get close to your customers.
-
Dealers today are exhausted but optimistic about future prospects. That's good, editor Craig Webb says, so long as they seek to avoid being one of the housing crash's last victims.
-
Get maximum benefit from your first meeting with a prospective client by asking lots of questions and listening intently.
-
Before you go out seeking cash, survey the capital landscape, Matt Ogden says.
-
Here's a list of the most popular opinion and advice columns that ProSales ran in 2010 .