The Craft of LBM Sales Podcast: Sell Value, Drive Builder Profit, and Win More Deals—Without Competing on Price
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.
Episodes
What can a stand-up comedian teach you about reading customers, building relationships, and winning more LBM sales?
Great salespeople and great comedians share an important skill: They notice details others miss and know how to connect with the people in front of them. But when you're focused on making your pitch, it's easy to overlook what a customer is really telling you.
In this episode of The Craft of LBM Sales, Bradley Hartmann ...
When was the last time you reminded yourself how far you've come in your sales career?
Even successful LBM sales professionals experience self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and moments when their confidence takes a hit. Comparing yourself to other sales reps or focusing only on the next big goal can make it easy to overlook everything you've already accomplished.
In this episode, Bradley Hartmann shares a story about his college football...
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 ...
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, ab...
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 quarterba...
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...
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, ...
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 L...
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 opp...
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 ...
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, yest...
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 ques...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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...
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,...
Are you giving customers a compelling reason to choose you beyond the lowest price?
Today’s contractors and homeowners have more options, more information, and plenty of reasons to scrutinize every dollar they spend. Jon Abernathy of TAMKO draws on more than 20 years of experience running his own roofing company to explain how sellers can earn attention by helping customers grow, improve margins, and make smarter purchasing de...
What’s the weird hobby, obsession, or interest you’ve been keeping from your customers because you think it has nothing to do with business?
The things that make you most interesting probably aren’t on your résumé and they might be more valuable to your customer relationships than you realize.
In this episode, Bradley Hartmann explores what happened when he subscribed to famed investor Michael Burry’s newslett...
Are you using your sales pipeline to close more deals or has it become another piece of corporate homework you pencil-whip every month?
Sales pipelines should help you focus on the right opportunities, make smarter decisions, and know where next month’s business is coming from. But when companies pile on too many categories, demand false precision months into the future, and fail to explain how the information will be used, a ...
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