Sales is competition

By James Olsen

Itr/E MUST compete to sell. I am V Y always surprised working with salespeople who don't want to compete. They are what I call "quotron units" or "product presenters."

The phrase "It sells itself' should be stricken from the vocabulary and, more importantly, from the mentality of every professional seller. We should replace this illusory phrase with the more appropriate "If it's to be, it's up to me," or my favorite, "If we don't sell, we don't eat"

Less Is More

Give me a salesperson with a little less personality, smoothness or charisma, but with a bit more determination every time.

I recently spoke with a brilliant salesman. He is one of the most likeable, charismatic people I have ever worked with. He is one of the best sellers, at the moment of close, that I have ever met. I have sold side-byside with this guy. He is great in front of the customer.

His problem is that he doesn't want to prospect. "If I could just hire someone to set up the appointments for me...." This salesperson, in spite of his enormous talent, is producing well below his potential because he lacks the discipline to prospect on a consistent basis.

To be successful in sales we must be half gunslinger and half farmer. What do I mean? Our gunslinger is our closer. Our gunslinger is our person who can communicate with many different kinds of personalities. Our gunslinger is the one who can respond on the fly.

Our farmer is the one who shows up every day and completes the steps of the sales process with discipline. It is rare to find both traits in one person. That's why most of us have to work at being great salespeople.

Pareto & Workaholics

Pareto's Principle states that 807o of everything in any competitive activity goes to 2OVo of the people involved in that activity. Eighty percent of the fish are being caught by 20Vo of the fishermen; 80Vo of the baskets in the NBA are scored by 207o of the players;' 20Vo of the flower shops are selling SOVo of the flowers. Given that sales is a competitive field, 807o of the business is going to 2OVo of the salespeople. Who are those 20Vo.!

"Natural" superstars make up a small portion of this group. The "naturals" do exist. There is a segment of people who are naturally great sellers. They are about one in 60. We then have the "man-made naturals." These are the professionals who have studied the game of sales and worked on their skills until they are as good as or better than the naturals. The "man-made naturals" get another portion of the business.

Then we have the workaholics. Their technique isn't necessarily better than the rest, although they do build their skills faster than the salesperson who works less because they get a lot more practice. The real strengths of the workaholic are time and determination. If the average salesperson works 40 hours a week (it's less), the average workaholic is working 60 hours a week. Assuming closing percentages are the same, the workaholic will get 50Vo more of the business! This assumes a portioned awarding of orders. In many "all or nothing" sales environments, the percentages will be even more slanted to the workaholic.

Balance, Development, Intensity

Are we destined to mediocrity if we are not a "natural" or a workaholic? Yes, if we don't change. I believe in balance. Life is more than getting the order. But I am not in denial about who I am competing against. The very talented, very dedicated, and the overly dedicated are getting 807o of the business.

Do we have to work 60 hours a week to compete with the workaholics? No. But we will have to be disciplined and intense in our work day. We will have to work on our sales skills. We also have to be engaged while we are working. Showing up for 35 to 40 hours a week will put us in the bottom 8OVo. We must compete. We must work on our sales techniques and disciplines to be the top 2O7a-wherc sales is fun and profitable.

Marty Munson has been named branch mgr. at Roper Bros. Lumber, Williamsburg, Va., replacing Jeff Faircloth. who has transferred to Fredericksburg, Va. New to Williamsburg are window specialist Dave Marbain and outside sales reps Jeff Weaver, Steve Stocki, and Tim Grunwald.

Christopher Shope has been named national sales mgr. for Ipe Clip Fastener Co., Gaffney, S.C.

Mark Williams, ex-Dantzler, has rejoined Klumb Lumber Co. as general mgr. of its Greeneville, Tn., distribution center.

Bill Aldrich has been named mgr. of McCoy's Building Supply, New Braunfels, Tx. Bo Ortiz has transferred from Weslaco. Tx.. to manage McCoy's Kingsville, Tx., yard.

Jack Stevenson, ex-Stock Building Supply, is now area v.p. for Minnesota with ProBuild.

Zachary Lenhert has joined the outside sales force at Pineland Lumber. Lewiston. Me.

Jason Knepper has joined the new Tulsa, Ok.. office of Arrowhead Lumber Sales, Oklahoma City, Ok.

Glen Turner has been promoted to controller-business operations for ABC Supply Co., Beloit, Wi. New managing partners include Laura McCoy, Lexington, Ky.; Brannon Clark, Augusta, Ga.;John Yelden, Waterloo, Ia.; Billy Parks, Tulsa, Ok.; Peter Meyer, Springfield, Ma.; Jim Colligan, Buffalo, N.Y.; Tony Schalliol, Durham, S.C.; Steve Barnhart, Murfreesboro, Tn.; Roger Propst, Nashville, Tn.; Jeremy Willets, Conroe, Tx., and Craig Rupert, Nederland, Tx. Victor Dean has been promoted to general mgr. of roofing systems at Dow Building Products, Midland, Mi.

Mike Coffey was promoted to c.e.o. of RISI, Bedford, Ma., following United Business Media's acquisition of the outstanding 487o ihare in the publisher. He succeeds John Day, who is now c.e.o. of UBM.

Dave Underdahl, ex-Therma-Tru, has joined sister company Simonton Windows, Parkersburg, W.V., as plant mgr. in McAlester, Ok.

Jeff Kimmerling, Laticrete, is now a contractor sales rep for the Indiana territory.

Tom Santer was promoted to v.p.-distribution strategy for American Standard Brands, Piscataway, N.J. Chris Capone. ex-Jacuzzi. is now v.p-wholesale sales; Scott Meyer, general mgr.-faucet division; Jeannette Long, general mgr.-ecommerce; Mark Hamilton, exWhirlpool, general mgr.-luxury & showrooms; Gerry Messina, exBenjamin Moore, director of customer development-retail faucets, and Carter J. Thomas, director, industrial design-luxury business.

Jeff Cardwell, president, Cardwell's Do it Best Home Center, Indianapolis, In., was appointed honorary consul to the Republic of El Salvador.

Molly Kwiatkowski, director of residential shingle products and programs, Owens Corning, Toledo, Oh., was appointed to the board of trustees of the Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress Committee.

Kenneth D. Mentzer has retired as president, c.e.o., and treasurer of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, Alexandria, Va., after 30 years with the organization.

Roy O. Martin, RoyOMartin Lumber Co., Alexandria, La., has been appointed by Gov. Bobby Jindal to the state's commission on streamlining govemment.

Ginger Vitus now manages the dental health program at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, CIimax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

ilews Briefs

(Continued from puge 20)

470,000 pace ... permits increased 8 .7 7a to a rate of 563 ,000

Briggs {, Stratton Corp. will close its Jdfferson, Wi., plant next year, consolidating manufacture of power products at engine and lawn & garden product facilities ...

Great Southern Wood Preserving, Abbeville, Al., was certified in O S H A's safety-health achievement recognition program for its treating plant in Bushnell, Fl.

Anthony Forest Products, El Dorado. Ar.. earned an NAHB Research Center Green Approved product seal and was honored by the Texas Dept. of Insurance's workers' compensation division for exemplary safety programs at its plants

Dow Building Solutions earned the NAHB Research Center Green Approved mark for its insulation and air sealing products ...

Hanson Brick,Irving, Tx., was honored for excellence in environmental stewardship and employee health and safety programs by the Brick Industry Association ...

Combilift's facility in Ireland manufactured its milestone 10.000th forklift. destined for Weyerhaeuser's Parallam mill in Annacis Island, B.C.

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GAF/EIk Buying CorrectDeck Correct Building Products,

Biddeford, Me., has filed for Chapter I I bankruptcy protection, to facilitate the company's sale to Building Materials Corp. of America, Wayne, N.J.

Correct's product lines will be added to BMCA's existing GAF/Elk composite business, which includes CrossTimbers decking and RailWays railing.

"By combining the marketing power of BMCA and the quality of the CorrectDeck CX product, it will mean greater availability for the product and a better solution for the industry," said Correct co-founder Martin Grohman, who is expected to stay on to help run the decking operations.

Texas Chain Restructures

Bison Building Materials, Houston, Tx., has filed for Chapter I I bankruptcy protection and will restructure to focus on its eight locations in the Houston and Beaumont areas.

"Geographically, this is the market we know best," said chief operating officer Tom Tolleson. "We've essentially come home."

During the late 1990s, the company established locations in Las Vegas,

Nv.; Phoenix, Az., and Denver, Co. "The crash in the housing market was excruciatingly swift in these areas," said Tolleson.

Over the past two years, the company has closed or consolidated l6 distribution centers in those areas, as well as in New Mexico. Ohio. and Texas. The privately held company was founded in Houston in 1962 and had 1,350 employees at its peak. It now has 556.

Yard Moving To LowerTaxes

Jackson Lumber & Millwork plans to sell its 2.1 6 acre location in Haverhill, Ma., and open a new, smaller one in nearby New Hampshire-which has no sales taxes.

When the tax was introduced in the 1960s, it was just 3Vo and was supposed to be temporary. However, the Massachusetts Legislature recently raised the sales tax from 5Vo to 6.25Vo.

"We're not leaving the Haverhill area," said president Al Torrisi, noting that the new store will likely be just a few miles away, in Plaistow, N.H. "We have our roots in Massachusetts. We are not leaving our Haverhill customers."

Torrisi's father, Joseph Torrisi, founded Jackson Lumber & Millwork in 1946, in Lawrence, Ma. Today, the

Most Still Not Sold On Gertification

A majority of wood products companies do not use a forest certification program, according to surveys conducted by the Southern Forest Products Association and Random Lengths. SFPA surveyed southern pine producers who are members of the Southern Pine Council, while Random Lengths surveyed producers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers.

Interesting findings from the SFPA survey include:

. Approximately 6l%o do not use a certification system.

' Approximately 46Vo of southern pine producers do not plan to seek certification any time soon.

. Approximately ffiVo of southern pine producers receive regular requests for certified products.

About 89Vo feel it is important to market southern pine lumber as a "green" product.

Approximately 56Vo of Random lzngths respondents indicated that they do not use a certification program-mainly because of high costs. According to respondents, the average cost of obtaining and maintaining certification is $19,898 annually-but can reach six figures. store also has locations in Raymond and Nashua, N.H.

"While many companies are not embracing certification programs, they are hearing a lot about it and are working to accommodate their customers," said Russell Richardson, SFPA's director of industrial markets. "They like the fact that they are being environmentally conscious, but they also have to balance their investment in certification in order to maintain a viable business model. Watch green building closely; just as new building construction affects demand of traditional wood products, green building construction will affect demand of certified wood products."

Visador Parts With Coffman

Coffman Stairs, Marion, Va., has been acquired by P&F Industries' Countrywide Hardware unit from Visador Holding Corp.

The 135-year-old manufacturer was purchased through a newly-formed Countryside subsidiary, WM Coffman LLC, and has been combined with P&F's other stair operationsWoodmark International, Pacific Stair Products, and Stair House.

The price was $4.5 million in cash, a $4-million note, and assumption of certain liabilities.

Coffman will continue operating its headquarters/manufacturing facility in Marion and warehouses in Marion, Plano, Tx., and Austell, Ga.

Visador retains its Crown Column & Millwork business, which receives in the deal "resulting independence and financial restructuring," said Crown general manager Joe Livengood.

Georgia Planing Mill Burns

An early-morning fire on June 30 damaged the wood-planing mill at Tolleson Lumber Co., Perry, Ga.

"We got a knock down on the fire in about 30 minutes, but there were patches of sawdust smoldering and we made sure we didn't have anything come back to haunt us," said deputy fire chief Joel Gray.

He said that the fire appeared to have started on the second floor near some machinery along a catwalk and spilled down to the floor below. Along with sawdust and wood chips, at least $30,000 worth of equipment was lost in the fire but there was little damase to the metal building.

New Hampshire Yard Grows

Uncle Hilde's Lumber Outlet, Tilton, N.H., has opened a new 10,000-sq. ft. location in Merrimack, N.H., and will expand its Tilton operation in August by taking over the rest of the 20,000-sq. ft. building it now shares with other tenants.

"We've had such a good response to our advertising that we see a real opportunity there," said sales manager Bob Glassett. "We've spent a lot to let people know who we are and what we have to offer."

He said that the company's slogan, "Wicked Good Deals from around the World," has helped elevate its brand identity, as has the iconic Uncle Hilde logo the company uses, which is based on a photograph of owner Mark Hildebrand's uncle, who was a wellknown local carpenter and builder.

New Millwork Shop Honored

Better Living Building Supply, Charlottesville, Va., won a 2009 Governor's Environmental Excellence award for its 24,000-sq. ft. custom millwork shop.

Opened in April, the new structure has a number of environmentally friendly features: a solar wall that collects heat for use within the facility and an 80,000-gallon storage tank under the parking lot that saves rainwater for irrigation.

During construction, recycled and low or no VOC building materials were used, and more thanl5%o of construction debris was recycled.

Spruce Users Pay AsThey Go

Spruce Computer Systems, Latham. N.Y.. has launched a new subscription licensing option for its SpruceWare.NET software.

"People wanted the best technology but they didn't want the large initial outlay required to purchase a complete system during a housing downturn," said president Rob Fitzpatrick. "Subscription licensing accomplishes that, with great flexibility. People can even test drive the software on subscription licensing and change to a purchase option any time if they choose to do so."

The monthly subscription charge includes such features as document management and signature capture.

WindowsTop Green List

Increased energy efficiency was a top criteria of products making this year's Top 10 Green Building Products by Sustainable Industries.

. Solatube International. Vista. Ca.. was recognized for introducing commercial-sized versions of its variabledirectional, adjustable-length skylighting tubes.

Serious Materials, Sunnyvale, Ca., was feted for its Serious Windows, which reportedly can eliminate a building's heating system. allowing waste heat from building appliances to serve as the main heat source.

. Kama EEBS structural systems integrate light-gauge metal stud framing with expanded polystyrene insula- tion ito eliminate thermal bridging and help create a tight, energy-efficient building envelope.

. ATAS International 's InSpire Wall uses sunlight to heat outdoor air before sending it indoors.

Rounding out the Top 10 list were Smith & Fong Co.'s recently FSC-certified PlybooPure bamboo plywood, GLI Systems' RainTube rain gutter filter made of 1007o post-consumer HDPE, Hallowell International's Acadia combined heating and cooling system, Tennant's ec-H20 water-saving floor-cleaning machine, Separett's Villa composting toilet, and Eleek's Your Old Light Fixture lighting restoration service.

Sack Celebrates 1 10 Years

Sack Lumber, which has I I locations in Nebraska, recently marked I l0 years of business with a contractor barbecue, an open house, special sales, and drawings and giveaways throughout the year.

Founded by Phillip Sack Sr. and his oldest son, Jacob, in 1899, the company has remained family-run ever since. What hasn't changed is business challenges, says Angie Sack, who manages the location in Aurora.