Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
This podcast review is the third installment in a bimonthly series Hardware Retailing is publishing to highlight books, podcasts and other resources retailers recommend to fellow business owners in the independent home improvement industry.
P. Brett Thorne is chief operating officer for Thorne Lumber Co., which has three locations in Missouri. He values the focused learning opportunities podcasts offer and recommends Bradley Hartmann’s “The Behind Your Back Podcast” because of its perspective on sales in the building materials industry.
Bradley Hartmann provides a lot of value. He goes in depth and he even has some tools, such as call structures and call sheets, he offers to listeners. He doesn’t take a bland topic and keep it bland. He finds great ways to keep things entertaining and colorful. — P. Brett Thorne, Thorne Lumber Co.
Thorne’s Takeaways
- Onboard and Coach
Truly onboard new sales staff. Don’t forget to teach and coach them. The podcast offers refreshers on selling techniques that are helpful for experienced staff to remember and new employees to learn. - Remember: Selling Is an Art
What I see in our industry as a whole is that we have lost some of the art of selling. People really need to go out and know the sales process, find customers and build relationships. They need to learn to be strong, hold their pride and define the value proposition your business offers. - Look Beyond Selling Products
Even with our existing customers, we need to go beyond, “What can I do for your business?” and “What products can I pick out for you today?” We need to ask, “How can I help your business be more profitable?” - Interrupt in the Right Way
Sales people interrupt pro customers by showing up at a job site or making a phone call. If you catch a customer at a bad time and catch them in the wrong way, you can hurt them in the sales process.
