The Craft of LBM Sales Podcast: Sell Value, Drive Builder Profit, and Win More Deals—Without Competing on Price

What happens when a future Hall-of-Famer like Chris Paul reaches the end of his career, but refuses to evolve? In sales, just like in the NBA, even the greatest performers eventually enter the final chapter. For LBM leaders, managing end-of-career sales reps can be one of the most difficult—and costly—challenges if handled poorly. In this episode you will: Learn how to handle veteran sales reps in...

Are you actually selling—or just staying busy managing accounts? If your days are packed but your pipeline isn’t growing, you might be stuck in the hidden trap most salespeople fall into—spending too much time on account management, customer service, and internal tasks instead of real selling. This episode breaks down why it happens and how it slowly shrinks your business over time. In this episod...

What if the real reason your manager keeps saying “no” isn’t your idea—but how you’re presenting it? If you’re spending most of your time on non-selling activities and still struggling to hit your number, the issue may not be effort—it’s influence. In this episode, we break down how to transform your ideas into clear, compelling business cases that decision-makers actually approve. In this episode...

What if your inability to say “no” is destroying your productivity—and your profitability? This episode is sparked by a real-life situation where host Bradley Hartmann said “yes” when he knew he shouldn’t have—and paid the price. To drive the lesson home, he shares and reacts to a brutally honest, iconic 2009 essay by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Josh Olson, originally published in The Village Voi...

What if the people you negotiate against are actively training to beat you? A purchasing manager at a national home builder recently asked for book recommendations to help develop two new buyers and set them up for early wins. Those “wins” will, naturally, come at the expense of suppliers—sales professionals just like you. In this episode, you’ll hear the three books recommended to sharpen their n...

Are you missing your sales goals this year? Or . . . are you hitting your sales numbers—but quietly building a team that’s set up to fail? Many sales teams look successful on paper, yet struggle with hidden issues like weak standards, misaligned incentives, and lack of accountability. If you’ve ever wondered why growth feels inconsistent or fragile, this episode reveals the real driver behind sust...

Are you busier than ever in sales—but still not closing enough deals? If your days are packed with quotes, pipeline updates, and constant activity, yet revenue isn’t keeping pace, the problem isn’t effort—it might be a lack of the right sales activity. In this episode, we unpack the critical leading indicator most LBM sales reps overlook—and how it directly impacts your ability to win business. In...

What happens when a successful sales rep becomes a sales manager… and eventually the president of an LBM dealer? In this episode, Wilson Lumber President Josh Hendrickson shares how strong processes, forecasting, and operational awareness turn sales reps into trusted advisors who deliver real value to builders. Many LBM sales teams talk about collaboration between sales and operations—but few actu...

What happens to independent lumber and building materials firms when a billionaire CEO decides your industry is the next $800-billion opportunity? With QXO acquiring Kodiak Building Partners and Brad Jacobs aggressively entering the LBM space, many dealers, distributors, and manufacturers are asking the same question: Should we be worried? Chris, a multi-location LBM dealer owner in the Midwest re...

If sales is truly a relationship business… why aren’t those relationships turning into more orders? Most salespeople in the lumber and building materials industry pride themselves on strong relationships with builders and customers. But despite years of trust and familiarity, many still struggle to ask for more business, win additional product categories, or grow market share. In this episode, Bra...

What if the biggest reason your sales team isn’t growing right now has nothing to do with interest rates, housing starts, or the economy? Many sales teams thrived during the COVID surge years when demand was easy and customers came to them. But today’s market is different. Growth has slowed, competition is tighter, and too many sales teams are stuck maintaining accounts instead of actively hunting...

Are you unknowingly missing pre-construction opportunities that could win you more of your builder’s business? In this episode, Kent Strawderman, Project Manager at Harborview Custom Builders , shares what builders actually want from LBM sales professionals — and where most reps fall short. After years on the supply side and now managing high-end custom projects, Kent has seen both sides. His mess...

Are you losing sales and talent simply because people don’t know all that you actually do? If you’re in the lumber and building materials industry, you’ve probably heard it before: “Oh, I didn’t know you did that.” That one sentence reveals a painful truth. You may be the best kept secret in your market. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann sits down with Stefanie Couch, founder of Grit Blueprint, to...

What if you could see exactly what a $1.7 million LBM sales month actually looks like—down to every call, email, text, mile driven, and customer interaction? Most sales professionals only see the lag measures—revenue, orders, compliments from customers. But the real drivers of elite performance—the daily behaviors, communication rhythms, and strategic decisions—stay hidden. If you’ve ever wondered...

What happens to your sales strategy when a $50 billion ambition moves into your backyard? The QXO acquisition of Kodiak isn’t just another headline—it’s a signal that consolidation, AI, and aggressive growth strategies are accelerating in LBM. If you’re a sales leader, owner, or sales rep, this shift should impact how you compete, protect margin, and win new builder business. Jon Vaughan joins Bra...

Does any energy and momentum dissipate as soon as you hear, “I’m too busy” or “I’m happy with my current supplier”? If you’re in lumber and building materials sales, you hear these objections constantly. And chances are, your instinctive response is actually reinforcing the shutdown. In today’s market—where builders need ideas, pricing clarity, and innovation more than ever—accepting these objecti...

Are you quoting plenty of jobs but still losing deals—and blaming price when the real problem is momentum? If you’re in LBM sales, you know the frustration of fast takeoffs, detailed proposals, and responsive service — only to get ghosted when it’s time for the builder to decide. It feels like a pricing issue or a soft market. But what if the real problem is that your sales energy peaks too early...

Do you ever feel like you’re working harder than ever—putting in more time and energy—without seeing better results? If so, it’s probable that wasted time, rework, and slow processes are quietly draining your effectiveness and your commissions. In this episode, LBM industry lean expert Scott Morrison of Do it Best reveals how waste shows up in LBM sales every day—and why most sales pros don’t even...

What if the reason you’re losing key accounts has nothing to do with price—and everything to do with how you made people feel when you had the power? In today’s shifting LBM market, builders are regaining leverage—and many are quietly remembering how they were treated during COVID. This episode connects Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub to a universal law of human behavior that directly impacts y...

If I asked you right now to explain the components of your time management system, could you do it? As you think about it, does your “system” look something like this: a pen, a coil-bound notebook, a few to-do lists, and your Office 365 calendar? If so, here’s the hard truth: that’s not a system. The good news? You don’t need more discipline or motivation. With a few shifts in mindset and behavior...

Are you leading your sales efforts with products and price—or are you focusing on delivering outcomes and building influence that turns one sale into twenty? In this episode, sales leader and BLD Connection President Cody Nuernberg shares how value-selling intangibles—like insights, ideas, and training—helped him become a trusted name in the LBM industry. Whether you're slinging 2x4s or trying to...

Ever chased a deal that felt promising—only to get ghosted after pouring in hours of work? In this episode, Bradley Hartmann breaks down a real—and quite recent—sales loss from his own experience and offers a transparent, behind-the-scenes look at how urgency, complexity, and poor fit can cloud even the best sales judgment. Whether you're a seasoned rep or just refining your prospecting game, the...

Ever felt stuck, unmotivated, or hesitant to pick up the phone—even when you know exactly what to do and what must be done? This episode dives deep into one of the biggest invisible forces stopping LBM sales pros from consistent prospecting and performance: Resistance, with a capital R. Whether you’re struggling with rejection, procrastination, or just feeling off your game for some undefined reas...

Is your LBM sales team unusually sluggish, pessimistic, or distracted as we kick off the new year? If so, it’s not about attitude. It’s about clarity. In this episode of The Craft of LBM Sales Podcast, we break down how negativity often masks confusion, and why more motivation won’t help. You’ll learn how to cut through uncertainty—whether it’s caused by market chatter, industry consolidation, or...

Is your sales manager a top performer—or a potential bottleneck to future growth? In this episode, we dig into a silent but deadly dynamic inside many LBM companies: sales managers who are still selling. While it might seem efficient or even necessary, this dual-role setup often leads to poor coaching, misaligned priorities, and an underperforming sales team. Whether you're in leadership or on the...