Marketing Strategies

Bill Lee: Don't Sell...Solve.

Learn to Sweat the
Keep track of the pennies and the dollars will follow.

Beware the Lowball
Are we behaving like a suicidal industry? 

Value vs. Price
Help your remodeler customers provide homeowners with “the same for less," and become their supplier of choice. 

Reaction Time
Insights on how to deal with obstacles in today's challenging economy.

Strategic Thinking in a Housing Depression

Selling in a Tough Market
Price, value, and flexibility are key.

Fresh Options for Strange Times
Driving down expenses is a reality for many dealers.

Before You Give Up, Make One More Call

How to Fine-Tune Your Sales and Marketing Efforts
Ranking accounts by category helps define your customer focus.

How to Prep for the Busy Season
Take advantage of slower times to make sure that everything in your store—including your employees— is ready to make the sale.

Managers with Skill and Will Can Show a Profit in 2009

One Year Ends, Another Begins...
It’s time to review your last year’s performance, then plan for a successful 2009.

Where is the Light at the End of the Tunnel?

How Are You at Walking on Water?
There is business to be had, but it’s much harder to find. Here’s where to look.

WHAT DECK BUILDERS REALLY THINK
LBM Journal is excited to provide this exclusive report based on fresh research into the habits, wants, and needs (and dissatisfactions) of today's deck contractors.

The Lean, Green, Building Machine
While going green does require learning, it also means acting on what you already know.

Now is an Ideal Time to Prospect for New business
Four proven strategies to put to work today.

Remodelers and Credit
A careful credit plan will help you earn the business.

Treat the Water
Involve your employees in the success of your business.

A Personal Marketing Plan for Better Sales
Know the information your customers need.

Pinpoint Responsibility to Raise Productivity
“You expect me to do what…?”

Why Moisture Content Matters
Invest in a moisture meter now, before it’s too late

Deck Math
Part I of a 3-part series on making more money on decking.

The Origin of Teamwork
Building a standout team starts the day you hire.

Start at the Top
Selling to remodelers requires commitment from the owner and top management.

Survival of the Fittest
When you find a great vendor, hang onto that relationship.

Offense or Defense?
What's your game plan for 2008?

When Worms are Scarce, Chickens Don't Quit Scratching
A soft market is the ideal time to ramp up your marketing.

Build Profits from Replacement Windows
This lucrative niche offers opportunity.

The Avis Approach
Sometimes being number two yields its own winning strategy.

Categorize Your Customers
Not all customers are created equal. Are you matching your level of service to their value to you?

Prepared to Compete
If a savvy competitor were to invade your domain, would you be ready?

Personal Best
The way to beat the boxes is one customer at a time.

8 Tips for Boosting Referrals
So the housing industry has slumped. It’s time to exalt and amplify your sales techniques.

Mission Possible
Dust off that mission statement so that you and your team know where you’re going.

Safety Saves Money
If you don’t have a training program, start one. You’ll decrease workman’s compensation claims, save money on downtime and increase the productivity of your work force.

Don’t Kid Yourself About Your Business
Beware of copouts that stifle profits.

Crash Course
What’s in a word? Could be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Make a List, Check it Twice
To head off potential problems in a softening market, review your customers’ needs—and make sure you’re fulfilling them.

Innocents Abroad
Dealers are looking beyond the United States for alternative brands. That’s good for the entire channel.

Cash (Flow) is King
It’s time for owners to say, “Show me the money.”

Plan a Successful Sale
If you sell decks on an installed basis, here are some tips to close the sale.

The Day After
Bob Nardelli will be remembered as the guy who finally snatched the halo off Home Depot’s head.

How to Respond to a Lost Customer
Losing a customer hurts, but careful courting and patience may bring him back into the fold. 

Closing the Deck Sale
Educate your customer in order to make the sale on the spot. 

How to Work a Home Show
Prepare, execute, and follow-up afterwards to turn a home show into a sales-lead bonanza.

Turn “Losers” into Winners
For successful salespeople, there’s no passing the buck.

The Bottom Line
How top performers take market share in a downturn.

Selling Smart to Deck Builders
Teach an old dog a new trick, and he’ll be loyal for life.

Predator’s Ball
How sub-prime lenders undermined the housing boom. 

Shark Bait
A corporate raider targets BMHC.

The Right Angle
Knowing how to properly use a construction calculator will provide your customers with a valuable service.

Leaving Money on the Table
Are your special-order sales doing all they can for your bottom line?

Finding Cash in the Corners
Recycling scrap isn’t just good for the environment—it’s good for the bottom line.

Old Lessons
Why some dealers are thriving in the downturn.

Do Your People Cost Too Much?
Operating expenses should be tied to gross profit—and a downturn is the time to examine that relationship.

Smackdown
As megabuilders tried to shake nickels and dimes out of the channel, independent production builders focused on real efficiencies.

Buy Low, Sell High
Turbulent times offer an opportunity to dig deep—and capture market share and new customers.

Growth for Growth’s Sake
Insights into the megabuilder meltdown from an unexpected source.

Honor The Craft
How to earn respect and guarantee higher profits. 

Selling Decks in 2008
Several trends bear watching as we enter a new year. 

Irrational Agony
“Deep, dark depression, excessive misery…If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all." 

Preparing for 2008
Face this pivotal year with well-planned goals and a central strategy.

Did You Plan to Make a Profit in 2008?
If you haven't adjusted for the market, it's not too late.

More Top Tools: 2008
The Festool Domino is a tool that makes job site work faster, cleaner, and more efficient.  

Bob Buck & Dave Klun On Selling to Remodelers
A new column that helps you make the most of these important customers.

Managing Inventory
Keeping the right product on the shelf means tracking, measuring, and anticipating sales trends.

What's Different About Remodelers?
Our two experts explain what it takes to recognize and serve these important customers.

How to Sell “Green” Products
Environmentally friendly and energy-efficient products are growing in number as well as demand. Are you meeting the need in your own market?

Battling the Giants

Supplier Partnering-Keep Your Profits Up and Costs Down
As Home Depot and Lowe's scrimmage for market share and margins, it's clear that victory will be linked to service.

Right on Tract: How to Sell to the Production Builder
LBM Journal spoke with three of the top decision-makers in the production housing market.

Two to Tango: exploring dealer/vendor partnerships
In some circles, the term "dealer-vendor partnership" is all about co-op dollars, golf outings and joint sales calls. In others, unfortunately, it's an oxymoron.

Building Builder Loyalty
What do builders want? Simple. More ways to save time and money.

Brand Identity: Can Partnerships Work?
Can national suppliers and local dealers really create alliances that allow both brand identities to thrive, or must one be the “senior” partner?

Exploring New Niches
Expanding sales in new directions can reap big dividends, but it requires a careful understanding of your customers’ needs and the market’s gaps.

The Next Big Thing
With new products flooding the market, it’s more important than ever for dealers to sort through the clutter to uncover the gold. Not an easy task.

How to Sell the Deck Project
A steady flow of innovative products from a growing lineup of suppliers means more opportunity for savvy dealers.

5 Ways to Win New Business
How you can take business away from the competition without using price to do it.