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

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

Rating
★★★★★
5
from
16 reviews
This podcast has
114 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2025/09/17
Latest episode
2026/10/21
Average duration
16 min.
Release period
4 days

Description

Are you working harder than ever but still watching deals slip away—stuck competing on price instead of winning by showing the real value you deliver? You’re not alone. The Craft of LBM Sales Podcast is here to help LBM sales pros like you make your differentiation obvious, prove your value in a way builders can’t ignore, and finally break free from competing on price as you close higher-margin deals with more confidence. Tune in each week to learn: - Proven strategies to immediately stand out and earn more face-to-face meetings with prospects where you deliver tangible value—so you can stop discounting and start acting like a trusted advisor. - Practical tools to manage your top priorities and your sales pipeline—so you stay focused on what drives sales instead of getting buried in busywork. - The confidence and skills to handle objections, close more sales, and build lasting builder relationships—so every deal strengthens your reputation and leads to positive word-of-mouth referrals. Raised in a lumber yard, Bradley Hartmann apprenticed as a carpenter and went on to build more than 1,000 homes before moving into regional purchasing with a national builder—experience that now fuels his work as the LBM industry’s leading sales consultant, trainer and author of 15 books. He teaches leadership at the graduate level to construction professionals at the University of Oklahoma. Every Monday and Wednesday on The Craft of LBM Sales Podcast, you’ll listen to a brief episode packed with practical, tactical sales insights and real-world lessons that help LBM sales pros stop discounting and start closing more profitable deals with confidence. If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start closing more profitable deals, begin with Episode 1. It lays the foundation for everything this show is about—and it’s the perfect place to start your journey.

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


113 :: The DAM Problem: Why Busy LBM Sales Reps Struggle to Land New Business
2026/10/21
Are your LBM sales reps receiving more leads than ever but struggling to turn them into new business? AI is making it easier to identify new builders, permits, and construction starts, but those opportunities don't mean much if sales reps don't have time to pursue them. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann explores the DAM problem, or Drift to Account Management, and explains why even hardworking sales reps can get so caught up serving existing customers that they neglect prospecting. He also shares practical ways sales managers and reps can protect their time, improve lead follow-up, and win more business. In this episode, you'll discover: Why busy sales reps often prioritize existing accounts over new opportunities, even when promising leads are sitting in their inboxes.How to identify where your selling time goes and create a not-to-do list that makes room for prospecting.Three practical steps to improve lead follow-up by examining your schedule, agreeing on realistic lead capacity, and establishing clear expectations for accountability. Play the episode to learn how to make time for prospecting, prevent valuable leads from going cold, and turn more sales opportunities into profitable new business. Learn about The Weekly Game Plan Time Management System If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
112 :: Your LBM Competitors Have the Same AI Tools. So Where's Your Competitive Advantage?
2026/10/19
If every competitor in the lumber and building materials industry has access to the same AI tools, how can you use them to create a competitive advantage? AI offers LBM sales professionals new ways to strengthen customer relationships, uncover sales opportunities, and improve performance. But knowing where to start can be overwhelming. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann talks with Shane Soule, President of ProTec Panel & Truss, about practical ways sales reps, managers, and owners can use AI to work smarter, make better decisions, and gain a competitive edge. In this episode, you'll discover: How recording and analyzing customer conversations with AI can help sales reps remember important details, identify missed opportunities, and deliver more personalized value.How sales managers can use AI to monitor quoting activity, margin trends, and customer performance so they can focus their attention on the opportunities that matter most.Why business owners need to lead AI adoption themselves and how smaller LBM companies can use faster implementation to strengthen their competitive position. Play the episode to learn three practical ways to put AI to work in your LBM business, strengthen customer relationships, and make smarter sales decisions. Listen to Episode 580 of The Construction Leadership Podcast If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
111 :: What Losing My Quarterback Job to Tony Romo Taught Me About LBM Sales
2026/10/14
What can a fifth-string college quarterback who eventually made way for Tony Romo teach you about winning more profitable business in the lumber and building materials industry? Successful LBM sales professionals need to know which customers deserve their time, how to prepare for competitors, and how to execute when the pressure is on. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann shares four lessons from his experience as a Division I quarterback at Eastern Illinois University, where he went from fifth-string to backup before an injury and the arrival of future NFL quarterback Tony Romo brought his college football career to an end. Drawing from his October Sport of Selling column in LBM Journal, Bradley connects the discipline of playing quarterback to the daily challenges of selling lumber and building materials. From evaluating customer profitability to studying competitors, planning your calendar, and embracing the responsibility of landing new business, these lessons can help you become a more prepared and effective sales professional. In this episode, you'll discover: How ranking your customers and prospects by profitability and potential can help you invest more time in the opportunities that matter most.Why understanding your competitors, your cost to serve, and your customers' businesses can help you build a stronger sales strategy.How preparation, daily priorities, and embracing the pressure of sales can help you execute with confidence and pursue new business consistently. Play the episode to discover four quarterback-inspired sales lessons that can help you prioritize profitable opportunities, prepare for competition, and win more business in LBM. If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
110 :: How a $9.50 Baseball Card Taught Me to Negotiate Better Sales Deals
2026/10/12
Have you ever lowered your price before a customer even asked for a discount, only to realize you negotiated against yourself? Successful sales negotiation requires preparation, emotional discipline, and a clear understanding of what a customer is willing to pay. But when you're eager to close a deal, those fundamentals can be easy to forget. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann shares a personal story about a Kevin Maas rookie baseball card, a $9.50 purchase, and the negotiation lessons his father taught him when he was just 12 years old. Through a memorable trip to a local baseball card shop, Bradley explores the difference between list price and willingness to pay, the importance of setting an opening offer and walkaway number, and why caring too much about winning a deal can lead to costly decisions. For lumber and building materials sales professionals navigating price objections, discounting conversations, and competitive sales negotiations, these lessons offer a practical reminder of how preparation and emotional control can help protect profitability. In this episode, you'll discover: How negotiating against yourself can weaken your position before a customer even responds to your opening offer.Why establishing your opening offer, target price, and walkaway number can help you negotiate with greater confidence and protect your margins.How to manage emotions during sales negotiations, understand willingness to pay, and avoid making costly decisions simply to close a deal. Play the episode to learn timeless negotiation lessons that can help you handle pricing conversations with confidence, avoid unnecessary discounts, and close more profitable deals. If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
109 :: 3 Sales Metrics to Track If You Want to Hit Your Sales Goals
2026/10/07
Do you know which sales reps are driving profitable growth, or are you relying on revenue to tell you who is performing? For LBM owners and sales leaders, measuring individual sales performance can shape decisions around compensation, coaching, hiring, and growth. Bradley Hartmann shares the three metrics he believes matter most for understanding what each salesperson contributes to the business. He breaks down gross profit dollars, return on investment per sales rep, and the Mendoza Line, which measures how much gross profit comes from new customers or new product categories sold to existing customers. Bradley also explains why he recommends a 10% Mendoza Line for LBM sales and introduces adjusted gross margin, or AGM, as a way to give additional weight to profitable new business when evaluating performance. In this episode, you’ll discover: The three sales metrics Bradley recommends tracking to evaluate individual LBM sales performance.How to calculate ROI per sales rep and use it to make better decisions about compensation, coaching, and hiring.Why Bradley recommends that at least $10 of every $100 in gross profit come from new business and how that helps combat natural customer attrition. Play the episode to calculate these three numbers for your sales team and get a clearer picture of who is generating profit, delivering a strong return, and creating the new business your company needs to grow. ROI Fan Chart ROI Distribution/Bar Chart If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
108 :: How One Sales Rep Used AI to Prepare and Land Over $1 Million in New Business
2026/10/05
What separates the sales pros who consistently improve, win new business, and attract better opportunities from everyone else? Being coachable requires more than sitting through another training session, nodding along, and going back to business as usual. The salespeople who stand out take good ideas, act on them quickly, invest in themselves, and report back on what worked. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann shares the story of one LBM sales rep who put that approach into practice. After being introduced to new AI tools and workflows, he invested in them, experimented with them, and took the ideas even further. He used AI to role-play an upcoming customer meeting and prepare for difficult questions. That preparation helped him walk into the conversation ready for objections he had not previously considered. Within eight weeks of meeting the prospects, he landed more than $1 million in business. When a mistake cost him another major opportunity, he did not give up. He acknowledged the mistake, went back to the customer, and found another piece of the business he could win. In this episode, you'll discover: How becoming genuinely coachable can accelerate your development and make coaches and managers want to invest more time and opportunities in you.How AI can help you role-play customer meetings, anticipate difficult questions, analyze your approach, and walk into important sales conversations better prepared.Why small acts of differentiation, including investing in yourself, recovering quickly from mistakes, and strengthening customer relationships, can compound into a reputation that attracts more business. Play the episode to learn how one LBM sales rep turns coaching into action and how you can use the same approach to stand out, improve faster, and create more sales opportunities. If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
107 :: Persistence vs. Annoyance: How to Get Ghosted Prospects Talking Again
2026/09/30
Ever have a promising prospect suddenly go dark and wonder how many times you can follow up before persistence turns into annoyance? You had a good conversation. There was interest. Maybe you even met face-to-face. Then suddenly…nothing. When a prospect stops responding, it’s easy to fall into one of two traps: keep firing off “just checking in” messages until you become background noise, or give up on an opportunity that might still be alive. In this episode Bradley Hartmann shares a simple “Persistence vs. Annoyance” approach he’s used for years, including the four-sentence email and voicemail strategy designed to make it easy for a silent prospect to respond. You’ll also hear what happened when a listener tried the approach after three weeks of silence and why knowing when to stop following up can be just as important as knowing what to say. By listening, you’ll learn: How to use a short, vulnerable follow-up message that gives a ghosted prospect an easy way back into the conversation without making them feel guilty.Why acknowledging the thin line between persistence and annoyance can create a response when repeated calls, texts, and “just checking in” emails haven’t worked.How to recognize when silence is the answer, park the opportunity, and redirect your time, effort, and attention toward prospects where you can deliver value. Play this episode to steal Bradley’s “Persistence vs. Annoyance” follow-up word for word and learn how to stay persistent without wasting your time or becoming the salesperson your prospects start avoiding. If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
106 :: Stop Using AI Just to Write Emails. Use It to Build Your Pipeline & Win More Sales.
2026/09/28
Are you using AI to grow your sales or just to write emails faster? Most sales pros have heard about AI, and many are already experimenting with it. But if you’re only using AI to summarize meetings, create agendas, brainstorm ideas, or clean up emails, you may be overlooking its biggest opportunity. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann explores how LBM sales professionals can turn AI into a strategic thought partner and personal sales coach. Instead of focusing AI on the 80% of activities that produce only a fraction of your results, Bradley challenges you to bring it into the vital 20%. The work that strengthens your pipeline, identifies the right prospects, uncovers wallet-share opportunities, and helps you deliver measurable value to customers. You’ll discover how to: Use AI to pressure-test your pipeline, uncover blind spots, and identify the opportunities deserving your attention.Turn AI into a personal sales coach by having it interview you one question at a time about your customers, prospects, goals, and sales challenges.Combine your knowledge of your customers and market with AI’s speed and analytical capabilities so you can spend less time behind a computer and more time having valuable conversations in the field. Try These AI Sales Coaching Prompts Copy and paste one of these prompts into the AI platform you use and let it interview you one question at a time: “Interview me, asking me one question at a time about the strength of my pipeline.”“Interview me by asking one question at a time about my plan to grow wallet share with these customers.”“Interview me, asking one question at a time about my most important prospect.”“Interview me, asking one question at a time about why I keep losing a certain kind of opportunity.” Play this episode to learn how to make AI your strategic sales partner and focus more of your time on the activities that can drive future growth. Listen to Episode 573 of The Construction Leadership Podcast If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
105 :: What Dolly Parton Can Teach LBM Sales Reps About Capturing More Value and Higher Margins
2026/09/23
What if one of the biggest threats to your margins comes from all the value you’re already giving customers for free? LBM sales professionals create and deliver tremendous value every day, from takeoffs and design assistance to special deliveries, field measurements, problem-solving, responsiveness, and extended credit terms. When that extra value is consistently provided without clear expectations or something in return, yesterday’s favor can quickly become tomorrow’s expectation. Using the story of Dolly Parton’s decision to protect the publishing rights to “I Will Always Love You,” Bradley Hartmann explores the crucial difference between creating value, delivering value, and capturing value. In this episode, you’ll discover: How to identify the valuable services, expertise, and support you may be giving customers without adequately capturing their value.Why consistently giving something away can turn an appreciated favor into an expected part of doing business.How to become more intentional about the value you provide so you can strengthen customer relationships while protecting your margins. Play this episode to discover your version of Dolly Parton’s publishing rights and learn how to capture more of the value you already create and deliver. If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
104 :: 4 Ways to Get Past the Digital Bouncer & Start More Sales Conversations
2026/09/21
What do you say when your prospect’s phone asks why they should let your call through? Apple’s call-screening feature has created a new gatekeeper for salespeople and this one lives inside your prospect’s phone. Before the phone even rings, you may have only a few seconds to give your prospect a reason to answer. Simply stating your name and company might be factually correct, but it does nothing to answer the question your prospect cares about: Why should I pick up? In this episode, Bradley Hartmann breaks down how LBM sales reps can navigate the new “digital bouncer” and turn call screening into an opportunity to stand out from the countless generic sales calls competing for a prospect’s attention. You’ll discover: Four practical ways to make your call-screening response more compelling through humor, curiosity, research, insight, and relevance.How to answer the three questions prospects instinctively want answered: who you are, what you want, and why they should care.How to replace boring, generic introductions with specific reasons for calling that can make prospects laugh, think, get curious, or recognize immediate value. Play this episode to learn how to turn those few seconds with the digital bouncer into a reason your next prospect wants to pick up. If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
103 :: 5 Pipeline Management Lessons to Help Your LBM Sales Team Create, Advance & Close More Deals
2026/09/16
Are you spending too much time looking at yesterday’s sales numbers instead of influencing what happens next? If your recent sales performance isn’t where you want it to be, pipeline management can give you a clearer path forward. By organizing, prioritizing, and quantifying future opportunities, LBM sales reps and leaders can make smarter decisions about where to invest their time and attention. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann breaks down the five pillars of effective pipeline management and shows how your pipeline can guide sales activity, improve coaching conversations, and create greater clarity around the opportunities that matter most. You’ll discover: The five pillars that keep your pipeline grounded in reality, useful to sellers, and focused on future opportunities.How pipeline management helps sales reps prioritize opportunities while giving sales leaders a stronger foundation for coaching, accountability, and decision-making.Why investing just 30 minutes every 30 days in pipeline management can help you focus your effort on the opportunities most likely to move your sales performance forward. Play this episode to learn how to build a forward-looking sales pipeline that helps you prioritize the right opportunities, make better decisions, and take greater control of what your sales numbers look like next. 5 Pillars of Pipeline Management If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
102 :: Fund the Tailgate, Not the Ticket: How to Become Unforgettable to Your Customers
2026/09/14
What if the best way to stand out with your customers this football season isn’t buying them tickets but funding the tailgate? Most companies wait until December to show customers their appreciation. The problem? That’s exactly when everyone else does it, too. Your gift becomes one of dozens arriving at the same time, making an otherwise generous gesture surprisingly easy to forget. Bradley Hartmann shares two immediately actionable ideas inspired by John Ruhlin’s Giftology philosophy of radical generosity. You’ll discover how changing when, what, and who you gift can help you become more memorable, likable, and valuable to the relationships that matter most. In this episode you’ll learn: Why funding the tailgate instead of the ticket can turn a one-day experience into something a customer and their family enjoy throughout football season.How gifting to the household instead of only the executive can create deeper connections and keep you top of mind long after the gift arrives.Why planning your gifting strategy months ahead, and even skipping December entirely, can give the same gifting budget far more impact. Play the episode to discover how thoughtful, specific, and unexpected generosity can help you stand out, strengthen customer relationships, and become much harder to forget. Sign up for the Giftology Newsletter If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
101 :: The 2 Numbers Every LBM Sales Rep Should Know to Prove Their Value & Drive Growth
2026/09/09
Are you measuring sales success by the numbers that drive growth or are revenue and gross profit giving you an incomplete picture of who your most valuable sales reps really are? For decades, baseball judged players by familiar stats like batting average, until better data revealed those numbers didn’t always translate into wins. LBM sales may be facing the same problem. A rep with a massive book of business might look like a top performer, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re creating new economic value or taking market share from competitors. Bradley Hartmann introduces two numbers that can give sales leaders and reps a clearer picture of performance: Sales Rep ROI and the LBM Mendoza Line. Together, they help reveal who is simply maintaining existing business and who is actively creating the growth your company needs for the future. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to calculate Sales Rep ROI to understand how much gross profit a salesperson generates for every dollar the company invests in them.Why at least 10% of a sales rep’s business should come from net new business and how the LBM Mendoza Line can help you distinguish account management from true sales growth.How looking beyond revenue and gross profit can help you identify the reps who are taking market share, creating new economic value, and positioning your company for future growth. Play the episode to learn the two numbers that can help you measure your true value as an LBM sales rep or identify which members of your sales team are driving profitable growth. If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
100 :: How Two Homebuilding Leaders Choose Suppliers and What It Takes to Win & Keep Their Business
2026/09/07
How well do you understand what your builder customers are dealing with when you ask for their business? Builders and developers are constantly balancing construction schedules, financing, uneven production flow, subcontractors, suppliers, service issues, and countless demands on their time. Understanding those pressures gives you a better chance to approach customers at the right time, solve problems that matter, and become someone they trust to make their job easier. For the 100th episode of The Craft of LBM Sales, Bradley Hartmann sits down with longtime friends and homebuilding leaders Bobby Krueger and Nathan Marsh to share an inside look at the challenges builders face and what they value from the people they choose to work with. In this episode, you’ll discover: How to understand the priorities competing for a builder’s time, attention, and capital so you can bring value when it matters most.Why consistent communication, dependable service, and solving problems quickly can strengthen customer relationships and help you retain valuable accounts.How generosity, trusted relationships, and a strong network can open doors, create opportunities, and help you grow your book of business. Play the episode to gain a clearer view of your builder customer’s world and learn how to deliver the kind of value that earns trust, strengthens relationships, and grows your business. If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.
99 :: What Alex Honnold’s El Capitan Climb Teaches Sales Leaders About Solving the One Problem Holding Back Growth
2026/09/02
What happens when your sales strategy calls for growth, but your compensation plan keeps rewarding your team for maintaining the status quo? Alex Honnold didn’t free solo 3,000 feet of El Capitan by treating every move as equally important. He identified the crux—the handful of moves where success or failure would be decided—and prepared obsessively for them. Your sales strategy has a crux, too. For many LBM dealers, that crux may be the compensation plan. When leadership wants proactive prospecting and profitable growth but compensation rewards maintenance, account management, or simply putting in more hours, salespeople naturally focus their energy in the wrong places. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann uses Honnold’s extraordinary preparation and Richard Rumelt’s strategy concept of “the crux” to show how LBM sales leaders can identify the problem that matters most, reduce the risks surrounding it, and move forward instead of waiting for market conditions to improve. By listening, you’ll discover: How to identify the crux in your sales strategy so your team stops wasting time and resources on problems that aren’t driving meaningful progress.Why compensation plans can unintentionally reward maintenance instead of proactive prospecting and how aligning incentives with the right outcomes can support profitable growth.How disciplined preparation can reduce the risk of making a major sales change and why maintaining the status quo may carry an even greater long-term risk. Play the episode to discover how to identify the crux holding back your sales team, align incentives with profitable growth, and confidently start climbing toward better results. If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales. In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting. New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.

Podcast reviews

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


5 out of 5
16 reviews
★★★★★
LBMSaleswithSJ 2025/10/04
A Must-Listen for LBM Pros
As an alumni of Bradley Hartman’s OSR Academy, I can honestly say The Craft of LBM Sales delivers top-notch value every single episode. Bradley has a ...
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