I’ve worked with thousands of salespeople, helping them improve and sell more. My typical clients add 10 to 20% to their company sales, but individual salespeople often increase their performance by 50%, 100%, even 200% (yes, tripling their sales) in a single year.
A Special Series from NAWLA
Most of us are standoffish and/or shy with strangers. It is natural, but it causes us to make rapport-breaking mistakes and makes us forget our natural rapport building skills.
It has been said many times, by many people who swear allegiance to the lumber business, that “sawdust gets in your blood.” Translation: once you fall in love with this industry, it’s going to become a long-term affair!
Small to mid-sized LBM stores, or independent retailers, should take a tip from their counterparts if they want to avoid being lumped into the 0.3% of stores that closed in recent years.
Everyone says your business should be on social media, so you made an account. But now what?
The highest level of sales on the emotional side of the skill set is the positively assumptive attitude (without arrogance). A relaxed and professional approach puts the customer at ease and makes them want to buy from us.
Even lumberyards are switching to electric forklifts, after discovering that energy-efficient, environmentally friendly machines can do virtually anything emission-producing internal combustion (IC) forklifts do.
One of the most pressing topics in the wood products industry is how to entice young people to want to work in the industry. The challenge of attracting talent to forest products has huge implications on the industry as we move forward and needs to be addressed before it’s too late. However, the question remains: How can the industry attract and retain young people?
The majority of sellers are too nervous, under-prepared, or just don’t now how to control sales conversations. Most don’t even think they should.
