In episode 54 we take you inside a national home builder to better understand how to attract attention, create interest, and build trust with the individuals responsible for buying decisions. Matthew Schmidt is the Strategic Sourcing Director at PulteGroup and he opens up about the best (and worst) ways sales professionals make it easy for him to buy. Behind the fancy title, that's what Matthew does: he buys large quantities of materials to help his team build homes. In this conversation, Matthe...
Dec 14, 2018•36 min
At 35 years of age with more than 20 years at Zeeland Lumber and Supply in Michigan, AJ Konynenbelt is an LBM unicorn. AJ is a Millennial who has earned his way onto the Executive team as a VP of Sales and as you'll hear, he is just as comfortable coaching Baby Boomers on interpersonal sales skills as he is discussing technology trends with twenty-something customers. In this episode, AJ shares how Mike Dykstra, the President and CEO at Zeeland, identified AJ's passion and work ethic during his ...
Dec 06, 2018•44 min
Last month at the NLBMDA conference in Chicago I met up with the association's out-going chairman and CEO of Franklin Building Materials, Rick Lierz. Rick shared his experience learning at the Disney Institute and how it shaped the process of editing Franklin's mission statement. We talked about developing a strong culture and how to stay a step ahead of customers' needs with technology — acknowledging the risk that comes from being too far ahead. We touch on the role digital content can play in...
Nov 29, 2018•44 min
No one likes to be rejected — to hear the word "no". Salespeople included. Yet the ability to anticipate and navigate around rejection is the hallmark of high-performing salespeople, especially when prospecting. When sales reps are busy — and hey, when are you not busy? — prospecting often gets pushed or deliberately ignored. Why? Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, a big part of why we don't prospect more is because we want to avoid rejection; another reason is sales reps don't have an int...
Nov 23, 2018•34 min
To celebrate episode 50, we interviewed a special guest — host Bradley Hartmann's father, Scott Hartmann, to discuss the most important lessons he learned after 4 decades in the lumber and building materials business. Scott spent his career leading and coaching sales teams. He offers insights into some of the best practices — as well as some of the tactics that should be avoided. The Hartmanns highlight ways your company can leverage the wisdom and experience of your veteran sales people to trai...
Nov 10, 2018•55 min
In episode 49, we leverage the movie, "The Usual Suspects," to bring a single sales cliché into focus because of its destructive ability to thwart prospecting efforts in their tracks. And yet, this very same cliché is also underutilized in personal development and potential mentoring situations. What is this confounding two-faced phrase? Listen to find out — you'll enjoy it and your team will improve because of it.
Nov 05, 2018•27 min
On episode 48 we get a candid close-up of the generational handoff at McCoy’s Building Supply with Brian McCoy and Meagan McCoy Jones. Founded in 1927, McCoy's is in the process of transferring leadership of the company from the third generation to the fourth—and from father to daughter. McCoy's operates 87 retail locations with full-service lumberyards in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, and New Mexico. As you'll hear, Brian and Meagan have a special relationship which has been an essent...
Oct 26, 2018•1 hr
In Ep. 47, the NFL collides with the founder of modern management, Dr. Peter Drucker. Using the framework within Drucker's seminal article on "The Theory of the Business," we examine the NFL and several of its franchises as a tool to help us better understand what we should—and should NOT—do leading our own teams. From Hue Jackson to Sean McVay; from the NY Giants to the Oak Vegas Raiders, we discuss the underlying assumptions driving their franchises . . . for better or worse. Thanks for listen...
Oct 22, 2018•40 min
Our guest on today’s podcast is Dennis Stine, CEO of Stine Lumber Company. In this episode, Dennis describes the values he and his 6 brothers and sisters were taught by their parents, and how those values have become an important part of the Stine Lumber Company culture. Prior to becoming the CEO of Stine Lumber, Dennis served the state of Louisiana as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives as well as the Commissioner of Administration. Dennis and I also discuss: how Stine instills t...
Oct 13, 2018•41 min
In episode 45, we share the first installment (of 6) based on our research into the construction industry—and the LBM industry specifically—titled, "Through the Generational Looking Glass: Varying Perspectives of Reality among Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers in Construction." Bradley Hartmann partnered with Purdue University and the University of Denver to conduct research over the last two years to better understand how different generations view themselves—as well as the other generations. ...
Oct 04, 2018•36 min
In episode 44 Kara Sand, Manager of Professional Development at PCL Construction, shares insights into how the best organizations and leaders create an environment for employees of all generations to communicate clearly and collaborate effectively. Thanks for listening!
Sep 28, 2018•40 min
Bradley Hartmann and Jenny T. share the latest 3-year social media trends and other highlights from their new book releasing October 1, The Skeptical Lumberman Guide to Social Media. For the 3rd consecutive year, the Behind Your Back Sales Co. team visited every one of the top 100 LBM dealers to catalog their online content and investigated their usage on the top 12 social media platforms. More importantly, we connected industry leaders to learn how and why they leverage social media to secure t...
Sep 21, 2018•45 min
Customer testimonials are so valuable to your business, especially if they are videos. Over the years, we’ve helped several Behind Your Back Sales Co. clients create their own video testimonials as well as video training content. The expert we’ve relied on is our guest on today’s episode: Brian Wiebe. As a testament to Brian’s passion toward his craft, he trekked the Alaskan Bush as a land surveyor in order to bootstrap the creation of his indie film and launch his own business. Brian has a Mast...
Sep 14, 2018•47 min
You're busy. I'm busy. Everyone is busy. However, that response doesn't stop the best sales professionals from getting their foot in the door, building new relationships, and closing more deals. In episode 41, we discuss the two most common scenarios where prospects toss this "I'm too busy" roadblock in your path and how you can navigate around them efficiently to grow your business. Thanks for listening.
Sep 07, 2018•28 min
Our guest today is Ryan Stensland, General Manger at Pioneer Materials West in Colorado. In addition to leading seven locations from Denver to Grand Junction to Casper, Wyoming, Ryan led the effort to launch the online ordering capabilities for the GMS family of brands. Despite challenges technical and emotional, Ryan successfully implemented online ordering which now accounts for nearly 20% of his sales—saving his customers and his team time while improving communication. An initial concern fro...
Aug 30, 2018•54 min
In episode 39, we examine the change The Basketball Tournament (TBT)employed to its scoring system and how a similar change can incentivize and promote more prospecting activities, which many sales professionals are NOT doing now due to the hot market. Yes, it's a great market, but we know every bull ride ends with a bear fight. We work in a cyclical industry and after 110 months of economic growth, now is the time to prepare for the slowdown. The best companies—and sales pros—are always activel...
Aug 24, 2018•17 min
Today’s guest will help us understand the other side of the desk—the perspective of a commercial general contractor. Tim Meana is a Senior Project Manager with Walsh Construction Archer Western—the $6B behemoth—that builds all over the globe. Leveraging his pair of Masters degrees in Architecture and Civil Engineering, Tim has been at Walsh for over 18 years, the last ten of which have been in Toronto, where he is currently leading a $160M job. In this episode, Tim shares advice on how to handle...
Aug 17, 2018•43 min
In episode 37, we let Terrell Owens, the recent NFL Hall of Fame inductee, be our guide to likability. You can learn from everyone in life—some provide guidance as to what to do—others what not "T.O." do. The most likable sales reps do 3 things consistently: they prepare, are authentic, and are helpful. Focus on those 3 things for long enough and you’ll be inducted in the Sales Hall of Fame someday. Thanks for listening.
Aug 10, 2018•18 min
In episode 36 we meet with Jeff Burton and Gary Smith of Burton Lumber in the great state of Utah. Jeff and Gary lead the sales effort at Burton Lumber and in this discussion, we begin with margins, but quickly redirect the conversation towards competition and the craft of developing a strong sales culture. Following the insights Jeff and Gary provide, I share a coaching and communication framework I learned recently and have applied. The initials of the framework are S.B.I.—Situation, Behavior,...
Aug 02, 2018•31 min
All too often sales professionals place themselves—not the prospect—as the hero in their story and ultimately find themselves in a Mad Max-style battle in Thunderdome: two men enter, one man leaves. But your prospect doesn't need another hero. They need a guide. You can be that guide they are looking for, insightful and helpful as the hero continues his journey. In episode 35, we will introduce some cinema sales skills to reinforce this concept as well as The Tina Turner Test to ensure your bran...
Jul 26, 2018•23 min
Charlie "Tremendous" Jones said, "You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” With that in mind, meet my guest on Episode 34 of the Behind Your Back Podcast, Jeff Tweten. Jeff is the Managing Member of WorkSafeWorkSmart.com. Jeff and I are a pair of book nerds and with all the "automatic replies" coming this summer season, we connected to discuss leadership and readership to best equip you to improve personally and profession...
Jul 20, 2018•24 min
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has all but eliminated the "GM as Head Coach" model with last year's demotion of Glenn "Doc" Rivers (L.A. Clippers) and the recent firing of Stan Van Gundy (Detroit Pistons). The tacit admission is this: the GM and Head Coach are two different leadership roles that require two different skills sets rarely found in one individual. From the NBA to LBM: what about our industry? Many firms still employ the GM as Sales Coach model. Should they? What are the P...
Jul 13, 2018•26 min
In episode 32, Tom Benedict, VP of Purchasing at Wayne Homes, shares insights, perspectives, and experiences from 30 years in home building. Tom provides a detailed look into why price is not the only thing that matters to a purchasing manager and what sales people should do more (and less) of. Tom shares methods a salesperson can use to build a relationship without being a nuisance and specific examples of why “no” doesn't mean never . . . and much more. Enjoy my conversation with Tom Benedict,...
Jul 05, 2018•45 min
In this episode, a Saturday Night Live character will be our guide to help us communicate more effectively and articulate our value proposition more succinctly. Hartmann will also share an eye-opening training exercise he uses with sales professionals to improve their awareness of the gap that often exists between what they say and what other people hear. Thanks for listening!
Jun 29, 2018•24 min
When Tim Rethlake, VP of Sales Enablement at Hearth and Home Technologies, emailed me a list of 7 common threads he found consistently among our Behind Your Back Podcast guests through 29 episodes, I invited him to join the podcast once again (Tim was our guest on Episode 3) to discuss them. Tim invested the time to collect and distill what effective leaders do and how they do it, enjoy listening to these lessons, share them with your team, and put them into action! Thanks for listening.
Jun 21, 2018•34 min
Beyond humorous sketch comedy involving beer, the Dilly Dilly Dilemma is about a common challenge among industry manufacturers, distributors, and dealers. The dilemma results in sales people consistently frustrated by a lack of relevant and helpful sales tools—online or off—that leads them to feel like they are dialing for dollars instead of delivering value. The dilemma results in sales managers and executives scratching their heads, wondering why all the value-added services they employ isn’t ...
Jun 13, 2018•18 min
On this week's episode of the Behind Your Back Podcast the tables are turned as the dynamic duo of Grant and Clay Leavitt are the hosts as they ask me the hard questions— those that are most important to them and their business. Grant and Clay Leavitt are 4th generation owners of Marcus Lumber in Marcus, Iowa. If this sounds familiar, they were guests on the show last year. In this episode, the Leavitt brothers and I discuss ways companies can truly deliver value, the difference between CEO's of...
Jun 06, 2018•47 min
The 2018 ProSales 100 list was released recently: "Dealers are generating more revenue with comparatively fewer resources even as they invest for future gains." To dig deeper into the insights and further question your own business in light of this year's data, Craig Webb, editor-in-chief of ProSales, joins the Behind Your Back Podcast. Thanks for listening.
May 31, 2018•20 min
When coaching sales teams, inevitably the selling/buying process for cars comes up. Everyone has been on the buy side and earned a war story or two. Or three. And yet, there are sales similarities between vehicles and lumber and building materials—both call themselves Dealers, both interact and negotiate with B2B and B2C customers, and many are multi-generational, family-run businesses. That’s why I sought out an expert perspective from the other side of that desk—Jay Hopkins, General Manager of...
May 24, 2018•44 min
Aman Khan, founder and president of Houston's Titan Homes, launched his home building business in 2004 has grown Titan Homes to seventeen multiple unit projects totaling close to $60M in sales. In this episode, Aman shares insights about the value of referrals from suppliers looking to earn his business, why long-term relationships drive his partnerships—not price—and the counterintuitive value that comes from being candid about his weaknesses, and yours as someone who may be selling to him. Enj...
May 18, 2018•20 min
