Tag: Builder Relationships
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They Know Exactly Why You Lost. They’re Just Not Telling You.
I’m a little slow. It took me way too long to understand why builders don’t tell suppliers the real reason they lost the business. Flashback to October 2010. I was in area purchasing at Pulte Homes, managing a few dozen material and labor accounts across seven markets from Cleveland to Denver. Home starts were down…
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What Builders Say About You Once You Leave the Room
Like many good sales lessons, this one started over beers. It eventually became the backbone of my book Behind Your Back: What Purchasing Managers Say Once You Leave the Room—and How to Get Them to Say Yes. Denver, Colorado.March of 2013. I was spending a week with a drywall supply company, helping them attract Hispanic talent…
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It’s Not FOMO Builders Are Afraid of—It’s This.
Earlier this month at LBM Strategies 2025 in Nashville, I had the privilege of delivering a keynote on the craft of selling with a panel discussion immediately following featuring three local custom home builders: Hugh Nelson, Founder of Kingdom BuildersPaul Hammond, Founder of Hammond & BrandtJoey Donnelly, Founder of Donnelly Timmons & Associates Each of these leaders runs a thriving business in…
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The One Number That Can Turn Around Any Sales Team: FAST Meetings
This particular acronym was born on a Zoom call Tuesday afternoon, July 1, with a 29-year-old outside sales rep in theCarolinas. He was four years into his career—two strong COVID years followed by two tough ones. In 2025, tasked with opening a new market, he was floundering. “I haven’t hit my monthly goal in nine months. Year-to-date,…
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This One Moment at Our Workshop Blew the Room Away
The Sales Fundamentals Workshop is our Super Bowl. Every April in Fort Worth, Hartmann & Co. hosts two days of the most engaging, interactive, and entertaining LBM sales training on the planet. (Yes—it’s included in our 12-month OSR Academy.) What makes it truly different? Real builders join us on stage. Attendees hear unfiltered feedback from the…
The Craft of LBM Sales 