Manage or lead?

IIIe cAN oNLY manage a team to the Y Y reach of their individual conflicting goals and desires. With a shared goal , a clear vision, and the human touch, we can lead our team beyond our collective imagination.

Of course, we have a shared goal: sell more! This is the message of most managers, sell more! This is "management by pounding the table," but it is not leadership. What do sales leaders do to create extraordinary (read: not ordinary) results?

Leader or Hostage?

Managers who fail to grow the strength of the entire team beyond a small percentage of top producers will be held hostage by this group.

People are hyper-aware of "fairness." Our team expects us to promote and protect it. The best salespeople make the most money. They get more accolades and attention. That's the way it should be. But, because they sell more does not make them higher quality humans. We want to incent the best to give their best, but not at the price of fairness. If we lose this delicate battle, we will lose our group.

Are You With Me?

If we want our team to follow us into a burning house, we must lead them into that burning house. Telling salespeople what to do creates zero results (beyond what would have happened without our "leadership") or negative results from those who resent our behind the desk management style.

When we sell side by side with our team, they will follow our leadership. They will give us that extra that makes all the difference in life, business and sales. Our team will accept our coaching after we have gone on a tough call with them. Getting treated poorly together on a sales call is a bonding experience that cannot be produced in the office.

Our number one goal on all sales calls is to make our salesperson look good. Too many sales managers try to show the salesperson "how it's done." This undermines the salesperson. We will not be calling on the account next week, so unless we want to do our salesperson's job, we let them lead the call. Pre-plan the call so we know who is going to talk about what. If the salesperson needs us, they can say, "Why don't you take this one, John?"

Immediately after the call, we debrief with our salesperson, pointing out good things and areas for improvement. If all we do is talk about the things our salesperson did wrong, we are wasting our breath. Basketball coaching great Larry

Brown says we need to say five positives to every constructive criticism. That's five-to-one. (Larry Brown is the only coach who has an NCAA and an NBA championship.)

Culture of Prospecting

The dirty little secret of the sales world is that only 10Vo of salespeople are looking for new business. "We have all the accounts we need, we just need to sell more to the accounts we do have." Hogwash! I have heard a variation of this statement hundreds of times. It iust isn't so.

Sales leaders create an environment where looking for new business rs an all-the-time thing. Most companies look for new business when it is too late, when they are slow. The best time to look for new business is when we are busy.

More importantly, our account base is actively under siege from the lOVo mentioned above-who also happen to be the best salespeople.

We must lead and incent our sales team to go out and call on brand-new, never-done-business-with-us-before customers-this is where real, extraordinary (read: not ordinary), organic growth comes from. Managers who go into the field with their team and call on new accounts will earn loyalty, respect and increased sales-guaranteed.

Lunch & Leadership

Salespeople need attention. Not just business review attention either. Sales leaders understand that sales is an emotional career and that their team needs emotional support. We have 20 lunches a monthuse them. Take your salespeople to lunch and listen to them. Talk about what they want to talk about. Treat them like we want them to treat our company's best customers.

Breaking bread breaks baniers. Show your team you care about them as humans and they will give you superhuman results. That's sales leadership.

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Chain Reopens Ex-Barr Yard

Builders Supply held an April 18 board-cutting ceremony at its newest location-the former Barr Lumber yard in Yucca Valley, Ca.

Jeff Twaddle is store manager of the yard, which becomes the third location for the California division of Parker Lumber, Beaumont, Tx.

Hardwood Decking Supplier Expands to California

Advantage Trim & Lumber Co. has opened a 50,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution facility in Santa Fe Springs, Ca., to supply hardwood decking to West Coast contractors, designers and homeowners.

Operating as Wood Decking Inc., the new facility has installed new CNC molders and milling equipment, to produce pregrooved, tongue-andgroove, and siding from sustainably harvested species such as ip6, cumaru and tigerwood.

"With multiple containers of wood arriving every week, we will be able to offer a full-year-round supply of sustainable deck materials," said general manager Rick Nevarez. "And with decking stores closing from San

Jose and San Francisco to Los Angeles and San Diego, we see a great opportunity to bring high-end, sustainable decking materials to the market at affordable pricing."

Advantage also operates warehouses in Buffalo, N.Y., and Grover, N.C.; a sales office in Lakewood Ranch, Fl., and the online seller AdvantageLumber.com. Several additional production and warehouse facilities are in the works, with the company currently negotiating the purchase of another 70,000-sq. ft. distribution/ milling plant.

Friedman's Returns to Roots

Friedman's Home Improvement broke ground May 2 on a new 78,000sq. ft. location in Petaluma, Ca., to open early next year.

The chain got its start in Petaluma 66 years ago, but-due to its aging facility-moved out tn 1916, always with the intention to one day return.

"Leaving Petaluma was the hardest family decision we ever made," said president Bill Friedman. "I remember as a little kid seeing the sign posted on the store: 'Closed, but we will be back."'

Alliance Lumber, Phoenix, Az., has acquired Central Arizona Truss, Phoenix.

Orchard Supply Hardware is closing its store in Fountain Valley, Ca., and held a June 8 grand reopening to show off its newly remodeled store in Van Nuys, Ca.

Ace Hardware Saddle Rock, Aurora, Co., is being opened this month by Rick Weed (www.acesaddlerock.com).

Ace Hardware has closed in Santa Cruz, Ca., due to high rent, but owners Manuel and Carlos Rodrigues will reopen this month in Watsonville, wCI.

Mclendon Hardware added a 44,000-sq. ft. store in N. Tacoma, Wa. The former Pay 'n PaHErnst tocation is Mclendon's 7th (Sandy Simmons, store mgr.).

Almaden Ace Hardware, Almaden, Ca., has reopened following a three-month remodel that included addition of a Craftsman Tool Center.

Ace Hardware Argonne, Spokane Valley, Wa., has been opened by Bruce Barany.

One Stop Home lmprovement Center, Riverside, Ca., launched a new website at www.oshic.com.

ABG Supply was honored with the Gallup Great Workplace Award for the seventh consecutive year.

Habitat for Humanity neto a grand reopening last month at its newly relocated ReStore discount LBM out let in Goleta, Ca.

Ganahl Lumber, Laguna Beach, Ca., lost $8,000 in tools and other merchandise in a midnight "smash and grab" burglary May 23.

Anniversaries: Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau, Federal Way, Wa.. 11Oth Buffelen Woodworking, Tacoma, Wa., 100th Franklin Building Supply, Pocatello. ld.. 1Oth