How did America’s LBM operations fare in 2009? How will they do next year? You can get these valuable insights by taking part in ProSales’ latest online survey, just launched today. This five-minute poll is designed to help us all learn the financial and operational state of dealers from coast to coast. To get the invaluable written comments, you must take part. We’ll be collecting results through Dec. 1.
Take the Survey
Showing posts with label ProSales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ProSales. Show all posts
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Take a ProSales Poll
ProSales wants to know which brands your company currently stocks, plans to discontinue, or may be added to your inventory in the next 12 months. In exchange, we'll put you in the running to receive a $500 American Express gift card.
Just click on this link... and you'll see a 22-question survey that will only take a few minutes to fill out. Be sure to complete the survey all the way to the end and provide contact information so that you'll be in contention to win the AMEX card. ProSales will pick a winner in mid-December.
Just click on this link... and you'll see a 22-question survey that will only take a few minutes to fill out. Be sure to complete the survey all the way to the end and provide contact information so that you'll be in contention to win the AMEX card. ProSales will pick a winner in mid-December.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
ProSales Says "Cowboy" Jackie Allmond of Choo Choo is Best LBM Sales Rep
By Rick Davis
At 7:15 on a south Georgia summer morning, the sun is beaming and so is "Cowboy" Jackie Allmond as he stands in the parking lot of Choo Choo Build-It Mart's Rincon yard. With 50 tasks on his to-do list, Allmond knows he's going to be busy today. But he can't dive in just yet: A fellow salesman has stopped Allmond seeking his advice on hurricane-rated floor fasteners, an important commodity in this coastal market.
Allmond doesn't dismiss the salesman's request with a hurried reply. Instead, he leads the man inside to show the exact piece he should offer the builder. Only after providing technical advice does he move to his office, get organized, and prepare to take off in his tricked-out red Ford F-150 pickup for a day of deal-making. Read more.
At 7:15 on a south Georgia summer morning, the sun is beaming and so is "Cowboy" Jackie Allmond as he stands in the parking lot of Choo Choo Build-It Mart's Rincon yard. With 50 tasks on his to-do list, Allmond knows he's going to be busy today. But he can't dive in just yet: A fellow salesman has stopped Allmond seeking his advice on hurricane-rated floor fasteners, an important commodity in this coastal market.
Allmond doesn't dismiss the salesman's request with a hurried reply. Instead, he leads the man inside to show the exact piece he should offer the builder. Only after providing technical advice does he move to his office, get organized, and prepare to take off in his tricked-out red Ford F-150 pickup for a day of deal-making. Read more.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
From ProSales Online: Tips for Surviving a Hostile Economy
Florida dealer Don Magruder's 10 ideas don't have anything to do with management or sales, but they could make the difference between survival and failure.
By Don Magruder
Over the last three years, the hostile economic times have taken a major toll on the well-being of employees and businesses, with many coming ever so close to their rope's end. As business people, many of us have been fighting very hard to survive, but we must never forget the folks who bear the heaviest load of those pay cuts, reduced hours, and dwindling benefits: our employees. An encouraging word or clearing of a path in the direction of common sense may be the difference between survival and surrender.
Sensing an increasing burden on many in our management and sales group, I shared with them my thoughts of how they and Ro-Mac Lumber could survive this hostile economic environment. Below are my top 10 tips for surviving these current hostile economic times. Most of you know them already, but it helps us all to refresh our souls. Read more.
By Don Magruder
Over the last three years, the hostile economic times have taken a major toll on the well-being of employees and businesses, with many coming ever so close to their rope's end. As business people, many of us have been fighting very hard to survive, but we must never forget the folks who bear the heaviest load of those pay cuts, reduced hours, and dwindling benefits: our employees. An encouraging word or clearing of a path in the direction of common sense may be the difference between survival and surrender.
Sensing an increasing burden on many in our management and sales group, I shared with them my thoughts of how they and Ro-Mac Lumber could survive this hostile economic environment. Below are my top 10 tips for surviving these current hostile economic times. Most of you know them already, but it helps us all to refresh our souls. Read more.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
NLBMDA News: ProSales Honors Industry Notables
To commemorate its 20th anniversary, ProSales magazine's September issue presented its "list of the 20 people, trends, concepts, tools, and initiatives that we believe have had the greatest impact on the construction supply industry during ProSales' history." Among the many notables are NLBMDA Chairman and Pro-Build CEO Paul Hylbert, Jr. On his contributions, the magazine commented, "Arguably, no one has been bigger in the building materials industry over the past 20 years than Paul Hylbert, and nobody matters more now."
Also featured were the state and regional building material associations. "For more than a century, regional groups have provided the meetings, roundtables, classes, and other venues for dealers to look up temporarily from their intensely local concerns, collect management ideas from fellow dealers, and build relationships that often prove to be lifesavers when trouble occurs," noted the magazine.
Other honorees included Joe Hardy of 84 Lumber, Rob Mellor of BMHC, Tony DeCarlo of Lumbermens Merchandising Corp., and Bill Hayward of Hayward Lumber. Congratulations to all the honorees. For the complete article, visit the ProSales website here.
Also featured were the state and regional building material associations. "For more than a century, regional groups have provided the meetings, roundtables, classes, and other venues for dealers to look up temporarily from their intensely local concerns, collect management ideas from fellow dealers, and build relationships that often prove to be lifesavers when trouble occurs," noted the magazine.
Other honorees included Joe Hardy of 84 Lumber, Rob Mellor of BMHC, Tony DeCarlo of Lumbermens Merchandising Corp., and Bill Hayward of Hayward Lumber. Congratulations to all the honorees. For the complete article, visit the ProSales website here.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
ProBuild Raises the Bar on Technology
Jim Moody , CAE
President
Last week I mentioned my concerns about ProBuild as a competitor. This week, I’d like to comment on ProBuild’s new technology package and dig into the industry’s use of technology.
But first, I want to address comments made by some of you on last week’s entry. I’m thrilled that the column generated comments. Diverging opinions are welcomed – even encouraged. Thanks to all of you who posted. My goal is not to have the last word, and I certainly won’t pretend that I’m always right. What’s important to me is creating a meaningful exchange of ideas that provides some useful information and builds a sense of community. My only requests are that comments remain in good taste and free of personal attacks (whether aimed at me or other commenters). All commenters last week followed those guidelines.
Now, to the technology issue. ProBuild is spending millions on a new technology platform called ProEdge, according the May issue of ProSales. ProBuild has about 200 full-time staffers and 100 consultants devoted to IT and will spend about 2% of revenue (in 2008 that would have been about $88 million) on technology in 2009. The goal is to integrate the legacy systems of dealers acquired by ProSales onto one platform and then to provide data in more granular detail than is typical in this industry. Once the system is up and running, the technology spend will drop to 1.5% of sales, and the expected return on investment is 7-15%.
In contrast, ProSales notes that the majority of dealers in the ProSales 100 spend less than 0.5% of revenue on technology. Almost half spend less than 0.25%. And that’s the biggest dealers. My anecdotal experience tells me that even those low numbers may be generous for the entire industry.
I’m not suggesting that this is the year for a major technology spend (maybe it is for some, but I know so many of you are in survival mode this year), nor am I suggesting that technology is as important in this industry as it is in others. (In the ProSales article, one of the leaders at ProBuild notes that his previous experience at Fidelity Capital was in spending 22-30% of revenue on information technology. There would almost certainly be unfavorable return on that kind of spending in the lumber business.)
What I am saying, however, is that one member of the competitive pack is about to set the bar higher. This could quite possibly raise the expectations of customers. As you go forward, you might want to think about how you can get the most out of IT rather than viewing it as a necessary evil.
Have you invested in the training you need to get the most out of your existing systems? Do you have a website? Is it just a “brochure,” or can customers access their account through it? Can you track orders? What about online purchase orders? Can you invoice/receive payment online (assuming you want to do that)?
Craig Webb, editor of ProSales and a good friend of CSA, has posted a related article from Bob Wiltse on how to use IT as a sales generator on the ProSales website.
So, how do you view this information? Is ProBuild spending too much in an industry that has never seemed to need as much technology infrastructure as some others? Will they fail to see a return on the investment because the customers don’t care too much about technology? Is it wiser to minimize technology spending as much as possible?
President
Last week I mentioned my concerns about ProBuild as a competitor. This week, I’d like to comment on ProBuild’s new technology package and dig into the industry’s use of technology.
But first, I want to address comments made by some of you on last week’s entry. I’m thrilled that the column generated comments. Diverging opinions are welcomed – even encouraged. Thanks to all of you who posted. My goal is not to have the last word, and I certainly won’t pretend that I’m always right. What’s important to me is creating a meaningful exchange of ideas that provides some useful information and builds a sense of community. My only requests are that comments remain in good taste and free of personal attacks (whether aimed at me or other commenters). All commenters last week followed those guidelines.
Now, to the technology issue. ProBuild is spending millions on a new technology platform called ProEdge, according the May issue of ProSales. ProBuild has about 200 full-time staffers and 100 consultants devoted to IT and will spend about 2% of revenue (in 2008 that would have been about $88 million) on technology in 2009. The goal is to integrate the legacy systems of dealers acquired by ProSales onto one platform and then to provide data in more granular detail than is typical in this industry. Once the system is up and running, the technology spend will drop to 1.5% of sales, and the expected return on investment is 7-15%.
In contrast, ProSales notes that the majority of dealers in the ProSales 100 spend less than 0.5% of revenue on technology. Almost half spend less than 0.25%. And that’s the biggest dealers. My anecdotal experience tells me that even those low numbers may be generous for the entire industry.
I’m not suggesting that this is the year for a major technology spend (maybe it is for some, but I know so many of you are in survival mode this year), nor am I suggesting that technology is as important in this industry as it is in others. (In the ProSales article, one of the leaders at ProBuild notes that his previous experience at Fidelity Capital was in spending 22-30% of revenue on information technology. There would almost certainly be unfavorable return on that kind of spending in the lumber business.)
What I am saying, however, is that one member of the competitive pack is about to set the bar higher. This could quite possibly raise the expectations of customers. As you go forward, you might want to think about how you can get the most out of IT rather than viewing it as a necessary evil.
Have you invested in the training you need to get the most out of your existing systems? Do you have a website? Is it just a “brochure,” or can customers access their account through it? Can you track orders? What about online purchase orders? Can you invoice/receive payment online (assuming you want to do that)?
Craig Webb, editor of ProSales and a good friend of CSA, has posted a related article from Bob Wiltse on how to use IT as a sales generator on the ProSales website.
So, how do you view this information? Is ProBuild spending too much in an industry that has never seemed to need as much technology infrastructure as some others? Will they fail to see a return on the investment because the customers don’t care too much about technology? Is it wiser to minimize technology spending as much as possible?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
