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 message is clear: if you're just turning around bids and hoping to win on price, you're leaving margin and wallet share on the table.

Builders don’t need faster quotes. They need proactive partners in pre-construction.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

1. Shift from commodity quoting to becoming a true pre-construction partner
2. Use lead times, product knowledge, and scheduling awareness to protect builder timelines and margins
3. Ask better questions that turn experienced builders into mentors — and advocates for your growth
4. Build long-term trust through emotional intelligence, empathy, and proactive communication
5. Position yourself to earn more wallet share instead of being “fine with half the business”

Hit play now if you want a builder to tell you exactly how to close more profitable deals and become indispensable before the job even breaks ground.

If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at info@bradleyhartmanandco.com 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.

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 unpack how LBM dealers can stop blending in and start becoming the first choice.

From attracting younger talent to building real brand visibility, Stefanie shares practical strategies to help you focus your efforts, tell better stories, and escape the dangerous “land of indifference” that keeps too many businesses stuck.

In this episode you will:

1. Learn how to use focused visibility and storytelling to attract younger talent, even if you’re starting from zero on social media.
2. Discover why indifference is the biggest threat to your growth—and how to become unmistakable in your market.
3. Understand how building reputation intentionally leads to stronger revenue, better talent, and more profitable deals.

Hit play now to learn how to stop being the best kept secret in your market and start becoming the obvious first choice.

If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at info@bradleyhartmanandco.com 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.

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:

1. Am I focusing on the right accounts?
2. Should I prospect more or go deeper?
3. How much communication is too much?
4. When should I get in the truck—and when should I stay put?

This episode gives you something almost no sales rep gets: a 30-day inside look at the exact behaviors of a top-performing LBM sales hunter.

In this episode you will:

1. Discover the five measurable patterns that drove a $1.7M month—including communication strategy, account concentration, and referral momentum.
2. Learn how focusing on just 17 accounts created deeper wallet share, stronger loyalty, and zero race-to-the-bottom pricing.
3. Understand how elite responsiveness and operational alignment build long-term trust that competitors can’t undercut.

Press play to see what elite LBM sales performance actually looks like—and walk away with behaviors you can apply immediately to close more profitable deals.

Register HERE to receive the complete Tagging a Shark case study when it publishes in March 2026.

If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at info@bradleyhartmanandco.com 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.