Firm offersr last looks, and the double pin

I QuornoN euorEs and hopes. then la.quotes and hopes some more. The Quotron feels that the customer has a// the power. The customer is their master.

These sellers are frustrated by their results but don't realize they are responsible for their relationships with customers. Quotrons merely serve their customers. Master sellers serve and sell their customers.

Setting (Emotional) Boundaries

My wife is a sweetheart with the patience of Job, but early in our relationship I made a (I thought) jocular remark she found offensive. She let me know nicely, but very clearly, that certain kind of talk, even if you're joking,was not okay.

Customers need to know that not buying from us is not okay Most of our spouses have a little more leverage to negotiate with us than we do with our customers, so what do we do?

Firm Offers

The customer asks if we can hold the shipment, or change the tally, or lower the price, or anything. Many sellers respond, "Let me check" or "Yes." This is being a Quotron. Questions from customers are not service opportunities. They are service and sales opportunities.

We respond, "If I can do that, will you buy it from me?" Or "If I can do that, will you give me a firm offer on it?" Or often, simply, "Can I have that firm?"

The beauty of the firm offer is we can use it whether we know we can do what the customer is asking or not.

Asking for a firm offer from cagey, nervous, distrustful customers even when we already know we can do what they are asking is a great sales strategy. Many customers like to see us sweat for the business; others love to negotiate. The firm offer scratches their itch and gets us the business.

Important note: Make sure to "double pin" all firm offers by saying, "This is firm, right?"

Last Looks

We take down the customer's specs. Right before we hang up or walk out of the office, we say, "Hey, John, can you give me 'last look' on this one?"

The weakness of the last look is that it appears to invite a counter. We must be careful not to sound needy when we ask for it. The strengths ofthe last look are: We will get more business.

It gives us a clear sense, early, of our chances of getting the business. Our customer's attitude and response to our question will indicate our odds of success. For the busy salesperson, knowing which business to pursue is crucial. Asking for last look gives us this insight immediately.

It sets the tone. Too many sellers send the message, "Whatever you want, Mr. Boss of Me. I am here to serve you." Asking for last look sends the message, "I will do whar ever it takes to make you happy, and I expect to get the business."

Sometimes I hear, "I talked to the customer last Friday and he said he was going to give me the order. I called this morning, and he had already given the order to someone else." How did that happen and, more importantly, how do we stop it?

Customers often say, "Call me on Monday, and I'll give you the order," or "You're very competitive. We're probably going to go with you on this one." Or "Call me Friday, and we'll get together on this."

Vague promises are anvils disguised as life preservers, and salespeople who grab onto them drown in frustration.

The Double Pin

When customers say they are going to buy from us, we say, "Great! I'm looking forward to doing business with you. So I can count on this order, right?" or "So I can tell my wife I've got your business, right?" or "Thanks, John, so I can tell the boss we're getting this business?" And then, most importantly, we add, "So when should I call you to get your order number?" We do not say, "When should I call you" without adding "to get your order number," or we send a service onlynot sales also-message.

Getting the order, right now, is best. We use firm offers, last looks, and the double pin when the bestjust isn't good enough.

Sincc i9il ri'c'r'c l'een nrrrking cltrrrlitr'li)rest pr()dlrCts usctl l.t' rhsirihLrttrrs, r-lciiler:, 1.rril.lcls, rcmrtlclcrs, rrutl dtr-it-r'orrr,'elfcr'.

F.r-.r'cr:irft rcrrr,i uc hr^'c firll,rri'e..1 thc slrurc prir-rciplc-s: trrke clrrc.f tl'rc,,,t.,., rt clrrc ()t \'()u; strivc tirr crccllcncc rrntl cfl icicnct irr nr;rnutircturingi llnrl trcilf rrll supplicrs ltutl cusf()nrcrs thc u lr' \'trll \\'r)ultl likc t..r lre trclrtcrl.

For sales call: 1-800-33 1-083 I w\r'\[. swau s()n gr()upiuc. c om

BMC is targeting this month for the opening of a second, 43,500-sq. ft. showroom/distribution yard in Colorado Springs, Co.

Parr Lumber is remodeling its door and window showroom in Aloha, Or.

Foothills Ace Hardw?I€, Ahwatukee Foothills (Phoenix), Az., has closed after 10 years. Owners Kevin and Lindy Cash continue to operate an Ace in Globe, Az.

Barnes Ace witl open its fifth Colorado Springs, Co., branch by late May. The company is retrofitting an existing 13,000-sq. ft. building.

Belgrade True Value Hardware, Belgrade, Mt., installed a large, new sign out front.

Ace Hardw?IO is building a 10,000-sq. ft. hardware and garden center in Bremerton, Wa., with plans to open as soon as June.

Crown Ace Hardw?ro will exoand and remodel its Corona del Mar, Ca., unit beginning March 1, taking over the storefront next door.

Lowe's opened a 94,000-sq. ft. replacement store with 1 7,500-sq. ft. garden center Jan. 10 in Yakima, Wa.

Home Depot has acquired online window-coverings retailer Blinds.com, Houston, Tx.

BuildDirect.com, Vancouver, B.C., raised $30 million in Series B venture-capital funding.

Kenyon Noble Lumber & Hardwar€, Bozeman, Mt., was named Sponsor of the Year bv tne Southwest Montana Building lndustry Assoiiation.

Anniversaries: M.J. Murphy Inc., Carmel Valley, Ca., 11Oth Bennett Lumber'Prbducts, Princeton, td., zstn ... South Coast Lumber Co., Brookings, Or., 35th Rancho Wholesale Lumber, Chino, Ca., 15th

SierraPine Sells Western Assets to Flakeboard, Closes Southern Mill

SierraPine, Roseville, Ca., has agreed to sell its composite panel operations in the West to Arauco subsidiary Flakeboard America Ltd.

The sale, set to close in late February, includes particleboard mills in Springfield, Or., and Martell, Ca., and an MDF mill in Medford. Or.

SierraPine is not selling, but instead will shutter its older particleboard plant in Adel, Ga.

GPS Data Helps Solve Truck Theft

Over the New Year holiday, a delivery truck loaded with lumber was stolen from Parr Lumber, Marysville, Wa. After the lumber was removed, the empty truck was returned to the yard.

GPS data from the truck told police when the truck was taken, where it went, how long it took to unload, and when it was returned.

"It's not the usual thing to steal a truckload of lumber," said sergeant Jason Longoria, a member of the Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force. He and other detectives followed the data trail to a home on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. Hidden beneath tarps was lumber with telltale markings, reportedly worth more than $10O00.

Detectives also found a Dodge pickup truck and a trailer that had been reported stolen in a separate incident. The 15-ft. trailer was full of other, suspected stolen property, including construction equipment. car parts. and household appliances.

Paint Showroom Moves Inside Yard

After The Paint Box, Prineville, Or., was seriously damaged by a fire in December, the owners began looking for a new place to operate their business-and found it inside the local lumberyard.

Blaine and Linda Jensen will now be selling paint and painting supplies from Parr Lumber's Prineville branch, maintaining The Paint Box name. Parr will add several of The Paint Box's most popular products, including Pratt & Lambert paints.

"We are thrilled to expand our offering in paint and join forces with the Jensens," said Parr yard manager Travis Garner. "Blaine and Linda have provided superior service to their customers for many years and are respected throughout the Prineville community."

manufacturer's

Black boards