“Ahh… The Glory Days. It’s 2020. We’re living in a strange new world, feeling like we’re in a blockbuster movie. But business? It’s booming. We can’t keep up. Orders keep pouring in, we’re working overtime, and I’m staring at the bank account in disbelief. I’ve never seen numbers like that!”
Fast forward a few years. After the rush, we did what any smart business owner would do: we hired more people, invested in new machines, expanded the shop floor.
But now, in 2024, a hard reality is setting in… We’re not growing. In fact, we’re moving backward. How did this happen? We did everything right.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Those were ‘Unicorn Years.’ My friend Ed Young, the Fabricator Coach, put it perfectly: “If you had a heartbeat, you were getting orders.”
So, how do we stop the bleeding, recover, and get back on a growth trajectory?
One thing fabricators excel at is measuring—whether it’s countertop square footage, cutouts, edge profiles, or slabs in inventory. But the one thing we don’t measure as effectively is sales performance.
Questions like:
- How well is Darryl closing quotes to orders?
- How many online leads turn into sales?
- How many orders are we losing to competitors?
It’s surprising when you think about it, but we’ve never really needed to measure this. Customers called, we quoted, they paid the deposit or issued a PO. Simple—Order Taken. But in today’s market, to stay competitive, we need to start measuring sales too.
Here are a few Bedrock Benchmark metrics that we’ve seen transform sales teams, broken down by Wholesale & Retail:
- Wholesale (Builders & Interior Designers)
- Sales by Week / Month / Quarter: Why are quotes from Acme Builders shrinking month over month? Are they exploring options with competitors?
- Client Momentum: How has Acme Builders’ engagement shifted over the last year? Are they buying more or less often, and what’s driving that change?
- Relationship Pulse: Why does ABC Construction stay highly engaged while XYZ Interiors is slipping? Should we adjust our approach to re-engage XYZ and address their needs?
- Engagement Rhythm: It’s been three weeks since we reached out to 123 Designers. Is our follow-up frequency enough to keep them interested, or are we risking their attention?
- Retail (Direct-to-Homeowner)
- Sales by Week / Month / Quarter: Why is Todd’s sales performance lower than others’? Is he the right person for the job?
- Average Order Size: How does Jerry consistently close $12,000 orders while Mary’s average is only $2,500? Should Mary shadow Jerry?
- Close Rate: Why does Jim have a 30% close rate while Logan has 65%? What can the team learn from Logan’s approach?
- Loss Analysis: Why are we losing 20% of orders to a competitor down the street? Are they offering better pricing on Calacatta, like I’ve suspected?
- Time to Close: Speed matters. The faster you can turn a quote into an order, the less chance competitors have to swoop in.
These are just a few, but they’re a great place to start. The next generation of stone fabricators will have real sales teams and tools. Those who master this will win. Think about it: industries like roofing, bath fitting, and windows have been doing this for years. Isn’t it time we do it too?
P.S. Here are two printouts for your client meetings as promised — one for Builders, one for Interior Designers. Remember, you don’t need to be a ‘salesperson’—just be authentic. Show them you care and have the mindset that you’re invested in their growth.
Bonus: Keep an eye on your inbox—next newsletter I’ll be sharing two powerful resources to help you drive your sales team’s success:
- 10 Questions to Ask Your Sales Team: A thought-provoking guide to spark insightful conversations and uncover hidden challenges.
- Sales Performance Tracking Template: A simple, effective tool to start tracking key sales metrics and identify areas for improvement.
These resources are designed to give you actionable insights and measurable results. You won’t want to miss it!
