Business Operations

Fully embracing the virtual event trend, SFPA is working to keep members engaged as the association navigates through this unpredictable time.

One of the things that makes selling in the lumber market more interesting than just selling a product, is that the market moves, sometimes dramatically.

At the end of 2020, I had the privilege of moderating a virtual panel discussion with industry-leading executives for NAWLA Exchange, and hearing their lessons learned during the many disruptions of 2020.

This week, one of my clients asked me this: “Are outside salespeople obsolete?” He is the CEO of a distributor who specializes in automation equipment. He had just lost three field salespeople and was thinking about replacing them.

Prospecting done well is challenging; done poorly, misery. To prospect correctly we must be prepared.

While the lumber industry offers a variety of opportunities at all different levels of organization, it’s also wide open if you’re ready to strike out on your own.

For the last two years, I’ve run a $3-million-per-year solo consulting practice, but I have been out of money multiple times in my life. Today, I sell large six-figure consulting projects approximately once a month because that is all I can handle. But when I started doing this work, I was proposing (and getting rejected for) $7,500 projects.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted businesses across the globe, with live events and in-person interactions being hardest hit. For the bulk of the year, social distancing and virtual engagements have been the name of the game. With some retail stores shut down early in the pandemic, many brands found innovative and interesting ways to engage with their audiences.

With nearly 20 years of HR experience in the wood products industry, I can professionally vouch for the wealth of opportunities available across the sector. As a female, I also can personally attest to the vast potential for women across the sector.