Immediately after releasing episode 18—The 10 Commandments of LBM Sales Excellence—a listener fired off an email to host Bradley Hartmann:

“How many people do you know for certain do this religiously? I can get the bottom half of my reps to do it but the top half say things like, “I don’t have time for this bulls***. Fire me if you want to, but I’m not doing it.” How do you respond to that when your rep who sells $12.5MM at 35% tells you that?”

In this episode, Bradley will answer the two parts of that question, breaking down the real-world challenge of balancing performance with accountability, using a surprising insight from former NFL player and coach, Herm Edwards, and his golden rule of leadership.

In this episode you will:

• Learn which two sales habits are the hardest to build—and why they’re the most profitable

• Discover how to fairly lead top performers without creating a toxic double standard

• Walk away with a simple framework for improving pipeline clarity and prospecting discipline

Press play to find out how top leaders handle pushback from elite salespeople—without sacrificing process, profit, or team culture.

Learn more about Bradley Hartmann's Sales Fundamentals Workshop.

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.

Is it possible your sales competitors in the market are saving time—and selling more—by leveraging the AI? It’s an idea worth being paranoid about.

It might be costing you more than you think.

With AI now embedded in everything from prospect research to sales prep and writing, your competitors are using tools like ChatGPT and Claude to speed up workflows, personalize pitches, and save hours per week. If you're still typing every email manually and Googling clients the old way, you're leaving money—and time—on the table.

In this episode you will:

• Learn how Bradley Hartmann integrates AI into his daily sales workflow

• Discover 7+ AI tools (free & paid) that help close deals faster and with more confidence

• Understand the mindset shift needed to explore AI without falling into hype—or fear

Hit play to discover how AI can transform your LBM sales game with practical tools, clear strategies, and real-world use cases.

Learn more about Bradley Hartmann's Sales Fundamentals Workshop.

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.

Are you relying on outdated sales habits—and wondering why you keep missing your sales goal for the month?

Too many LBM sales reps (and their managers) skip the fundamentals in favor of tactics that don’t move the needle. This episode reveals the 10 foundational habits that separate consistent closers from underperformers—and how you can turn them into a team-wide contract for success.

In this episode you will:

• Discover the 10 Commandments of LBM Sales Excellence that top performers follow religiously

• Learn how to build daily, weekly, and monthly disciplines that fuel pipeline growth and accountability

• Get access to a real-world, one-page sales contract that boosts performance and eliminates excuses

Listen now to learn the exact sales fundamentals that drive profitable, consistent results in LBM—without competing on price. And click here to download your PDF version of the 10 10 Commandments of LBM Sales Excellence.

Learn more about Bradley Hartmann's Sales Fundamentals Workshop here.

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.

Are you still leading sales conversations with pricing—and finding that you’re getting nowhere with builders?

In today’s competitive LBM sales landscape, builders are less concerned with saving a few bucks and more focused on saving time, staying efficient, and being informed. If you’re still relying on pricing alone to close deals, you’re not just blending in—it’s quite possible you’re losing business.

In this episode you will:

• Learn the real hidden costs builders care about (and how to sell to them).

• Discover how time, attention, and new product knowledge create sales differentiation.

• Get insights directly from three top custom builders to level up your prospecting strategy.

Listen now to learn how to stop competing on price and start delivering the kind of value builders are actively looking for.

What do a 17-year-old baseball prodigy and a top-performing LBM salesperson have in common? More than you think—and it starts with mastering the right five tools.

In this episode, Bradley Hartmann uses the concept of a "five-tool baseball player" to introduce a powerful framework that helps LBM sales professionals evaluate and upgrade their own sales performance.

If you’ve ever wondered how to grow your gross margin, win new customers, or make better use of your time—this episode is your new playbook.

In this episode you will:

• Learn how to assess your sales performance using five key, measurable tools.

• Discover why most reps never track net new gross margin—and why that’s hurting their growth.

• Understand how “makeup,” the secret sixth tool, could be what’s holding you back from sales greatness.

Press play now to find out how grading yourself like a pro scout can help you win bigger, better, and more profitable deals in the LBM world.

Are you letting your email inbox and incoming calls dictate your sales day—and killing your productivity in the process?

While most LBM sales reps believe they have a pricing or prospecting problem, the real issue is often poor time management, managing priorities and pipeline from memory on a yellow legal pad or the same coil-bound notebook a 4th grader would use.

In this episode, you’ll learn why multitasking doesn’t work, why “find what works for you” is terrible advice, and what to do instead to finally control your schedule—and your sales results.

In this episode you will:

• Learn 7 surprising time management tips specifically designed for LBM sales professionals.

• Discover the truth about multitasking, task switching, and why your inbox is a productivity killer.

• See how using a simple tool—the Weekly Game Plan—can help you plan with purpose, prospect consistently, and sell more without burnout.

Listen now to uncover a smarter way to manage your time and consistently grow your book of business—without feeling overwhelmed.

Do you check your email 286 times each day, hoping new deals and hot opportunities will magically appear? Or do you have an quantified and prioritized sales pipeline that guides your focus and attention each day of the week?

If you're like many LBM sales pros—and me too—it’s easy to get caught up in daily fires and assume your pipeline is “under control.” But without clear priorities and quantified forecasts, you're not selling—you’re guessing.

This episode unpacks the mindset and systems needed to build a pipeline that drives consistent, confident sales performance.

In this episode, you will:

• Learn a simple method to assign probabilities to every open quote and prioritize your best opportunities.

• Discover the truth about why saying “my customers are different” is costing you deals—and how to overcome it.

• Understand how forecasting isn't about being right. It’s about learning faster, selling smarter, and staying accountable.

Press play to learn the exact steps to quantify your pipeline and finally get ahead of your monthly sales goals—without any fancy software required.

(And if you’d life simple-not-fancy software to help you create your pipeline in under 30 minutes, visit thesimplesalespipeline.com and/or contact cheryl@bradleyhartmannandco.com)

Is your prospecting strategy making you unforgettable—or just invisible?

In today’s episode, you’ll discover a refreshing approach to staying top of mind with both prospects and existing customers—without spamming inboxes or begging for attention.

LBM sales reps often struggle to be remembered in a noisy, transactional world. This episode offers a thoughtful (and surprisingly fun) alternative.

In today’s episode you will:

• Learn how to use strategic gifting to stay relevant and build deeper customer loyalty.

• Discover why most sales reps are forgotten—and how to avoid that fate with minimal effort.

• Get a practical framework for combining personal connection with professional value to stand out in your market.

Tune into this episode now to uncover how staying top of mind can unlock more referrals, loyalty, and long-term sales growth.

You can contact Lynn and Bailey Warren at Cottage Baby Boutique here: cottagebabyboutique.com