180 seconds

K A LL PLANS wonr until we -frl,engage the enemy" and "All battles are won and lost before they are fought" are attributed to Sun Tzu (4lO-7 80 BC), general and author of The Art of War.

Translation: prepare andbe flexible. Winging it is not being flexible. Deviation from a plan that works most of the time is.

Comedians work on three minutes for years. Like us, a comedian's first seconds are crucial to success. Every pause, every word (periwinkle is funnier than bluel) is planned, practiced and polished.

We must be as committed as the general and the comedian. We must plan exactly how we want our calls to go.

Greetings and Gatekeepers

Our first call has more to do with how quickly and how much business we will do with our customers than any other call. One of many differences between the master seller and journeyman is the ability to bring in new customers and make them profitable faster.

We identify ourselves, the name of our company, and where we are calling from. "Good morning, this is Pete Grandvents with Great Lumber out of Grand Rapids."

We speak more slowly and distinctly when calling a new account. Our voice is new. Speaking slowly also projects confidence. If we do not identify who we are and the name of our company, a good receptionist will ask us anyway.

" How are you this morning? " If we slow this portion of the call down, just a tad, and ask the receptionist how they are doing, with sincerity, it will pay short- and long-term dividends. (Don't flirt or blather, just "How are you?")

"Could you please tell me who buys your lumber?" We don't ask them to put us through to the buyer. Ask for the buyer's name. We get the spelling of the buyer's first and last name, if need be, from the receptionist. Our time with the buyer is limited. We don't want to waste it spelling their name-and neither do they.

Another common mistake with gatekeepers is to overexplain who we are and why we are calling. A receptionist is not a buyer. Be respectful and charming, but to the point.

Qualifying the Customer

"Good afternoon, John. My name is Pete Grandvents, with Great Lumber out of Grand Rapids. We sell lumber in your area. They tell me you are the lumber buyer. Is that correct? "

We are brief in our introduction and ask a question. Often customers will ask questions. Who are you? What do you sell? We are prepared with clear, brief answers and turnaround questions.

We are calling the customer to qualify them.If they meet our qualifications, we know we can help them (because we are already helping other qualifted customers.)

Whether the customer is receptive or not, most will give us 180 to 300 seconds maximum on an introductory call. If the call goes longer, great, but let's plan for how calls usually go.

"Yes, I buy the lumber."

"What are your main three items?" Many salespeople get bogged down beating around the bush about the purpose of the call. We are courteous, calm and direct.

The biggest mistake made by sellers is the failure to qualify the customer on volume used. We have a list of our questions, in order, and ask them.

Ending & Connecting the Call

Many sellers drag calls on, waiting for the customer to kick them off the phone or out of their office. That's what happens. And that's the lasting memory of the call.

We need to be calm, in charge, and efficient. When we are finished, we thank our customer for their time, set an appointment for the next call, and make a strong and graceful exit. It is the crescendo of our first impression.

"John, I appreciate your time today. I will follow up with you next Monday at 9 a.m. with numbers that will work. I look forward to doing business with you." ,

" Pete. Thanks for the information. I will work up a p.rogrqm that 'r, will work for you and call you Monday at 3:00.Thanks- and go Sox."

We work in a 180-second window. Every second is crucial. Planning works-in war. comedy and sales.

James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) s44-3s72 james @ realitysalestraining.com

Levee Lumber, Hoquiam, wa., has opened yard #3 at the former Bayview Building Materials site in Westport, Wa.

Levee extensively remodeled Bayview's 4,500-sq. ft. store on 1 acre (Keith German, store mgr.).

Kelso True Value Hardware & Marine, Kelso, wa., is closing July 20 after 61 years.

Owner Jim Zonich has sold the property and is retiring due to health concerns. His partner and brother, Mike Zonich, retired early last year.

Bio Creek Lumber has switchid to Orgill as hardware supplier to its retail lumberyards in Atwater, Paso Robles, Santa Cruz, and Watsonville, Ca.

Hood River Supply has tripted the size of its Hood River, Or., store to 19,500 sq. ft., boosting space for lawn & garden, paint, fasteners and hardware.

Stock Building Supply, Raleigh, N.C., has filed for an initial public offering of its stock that it hopes will raise uo to $175 million.

Ace Hardware, Watsonville, Ca., has relocated to a new 10,000-sq. ft. storefront.

Jones Ace Hardware, Emery, Ut., recently held a grand re-opening to celebrate its extensive remodel.

TriFecta Home Genter, Sidney, Mt., was opened early this month by Rebecca Benson, Teresa Benson, and T.J. Rost.

Kodiak Building Partners, Denver, Co., has acquired New England Building Supply, Boston, Ma.

Led by Paul Hylbert, ex-ProBuild, Kodiak also operates Colorado's Barton Supplv ano Great West Drywallstippl'V

Central Vallev Builders Supply, Napa, Cal, was named Supplier of the Year by the Building Industry Association Bay Area.

Anniversaries: Cashway Lumber Co., Baker city, or., 45th

SocomiAdding K.D. Doug Fir

Beginning in mid-July, South Coast Lumber Co., Brookings, Or., will expand its Socomi brand line of lumber to include kiln dried Douglas fir. By maintaining consistent temperature and humidity levels, kiln drying further enhances the natural characteristics of Douglas fir, one of the strongest of all softwood species. With a lower moisture content, K.D. DF lumber provides improved resistance to mold and insect damage, with greater dimensional stability that hinders the natural twisting and warping that can occur as untreated green lum- ber air dries.

Since the early 1950s, South Coast Lumber has been a leading supplier of high-quality green DF lumber. In 2006, the company replaced its old growth sawmill and opened a fully computerized mill to process smaller, second growth logs.

Now, the company can offer nationwide distribution of both green and K.D. DF products in sizes from 2"x4" through 2"x12", 3"x4" through 3"12" and 4'x4" through 4"x12", all in 8' to 20' lengths. Most grades are available, as are customer-requested proprietary grades.

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\\ illi:rrrr ('roulct. .lrlrir rlLn. ( )ttllutj SLrlrll11 llrtt,lti lttt. Slttt .lose ( rr.. 1r'\l!n!'il lrrrIt lltr' lrolLIti. \alll0r ,l'. llr nriln le\()Lr rter l)itritl l. llogagt \\it\ !'lL'!le(l .l rl itt'tlot ,f oscltlt Rorlgcrs. t \ I t'ilIlt lnllLn,i. llll\ hr'r'll lllLlllt'rl \ 1.. t .\. ()l)r't il lt()lt\ l()t Inl!'|tillt()llit l Ir|trl l'trrrlttr'1.. \ iut!()u\r'1. ll ( l:rrr,f. llttrtl.s lt;1' lrq't'lt nlttttr'i1 tll]r'l inlorrrlrtrtrrt rrllitcr lirr \lorrltlinl ,\ \lillrr,rr[. \ iurr'()u\er'. l),.( lnternational Forest Products temporarily idled its sawmills in Port Angeles and Beaver, Wa., and Molalla, 0r., due to market conditions.

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Matt Comisky has been named Olympia, Wa.-based Washington State mgr. for the American Forest Resource Council.

Wanda Off is now GPS coordinator at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Universal Forest Products has at least temporarily shelved plans to consolidate its plants in McMinnville and Woodburn, 0r., at a new 126,000sq. ft. facility in Silverton, 0r.

Yuba River Moulding & Millwork, Yuba City, Ca., has added a third prime line to increase capacity.

Pioneer Forest Products. Billings, Mt., has pushed back construction of a $200-million sawmill in Winslow, Az., as it continues to hunt for investors (see July 2012, p.35).

Konecny Brothers Lumber, Ogden, Ut., is now exclusive sales and trucking agent for Saratoga Forest Manaleirent, Saratoga,-Wy.

Ochoco Lumber Co, is selling its 32,475-acre ponderosa pine farm near Prineville, 0r. The property has about 80 million bd. ft. of standing timber that should grow to 260 million ft. by the time it's ready to log in 25 years.

Ochoco closed its Prineville mill in 2001 and is now focusing all operations on Malheur Lumber, John Day, or.

Snavely Forest Products, Denver, Co., is now dishibuting LarSon Doors'storm doors in Colorado and southern Wyoming.

MaxiTile distributor Huttig Building Products, Phoenix, Az., has added MaxiLite P10 lightweight fiber cement roofing to its inventory.

Woodgrain Millwork, Fruitland, ld., p#tnered wtih Pure Color, Albuquerque, N.M., to develop readyto-install prefinished interior door and trim packages.

Custom Building Products, Seal Beach, Ca., is being shopped by its owner, Kelso & Co.