NEWS & NOTES FROM BIG CREEK LUMBER
Tools, Tips and Information from our business to yours – Building better business together!
Sara Ferrill, Cashier Associate in Santa Cruz
How long have you worked at Big Creek? I have been at Big Creek for three, going on four years in July.
What is your favorite part of working for Big Creek? My favorite part of working for Big Creek would have to be the special interactions that I have with my customers on a daily basis. I get to really build a relationship with not only our contractors, but with the homeowners that come in as well. Being on a first name basis with most of the people that shop with Big Creek is truly something special, and something that I never thought was possible in a retail/customer service business. It’s the little things like that that make my job easy and joyful.
What’s your favorite product that we sell? My favorite product that we sell is probably our decking material. After a customer completes a deck job I always get to see the pictures that they take before, during, and proudly show after it’s all done. It’s amazing to see the end result and know that we provided them with good quality material to make that deck one of a kind.
What do you like to do for fun? At the moment I’m having a fun time working on improving the condo that I recently purchased with my significant other. That may sound strange, but being able to put my special touch on my first home is really exciting and fun for me. When I’m not doing a project at home, you’ll most likely find me at a farmers/vintage market somewhere or at the beach.
This Is the Best Sales and Networking Trick, Bar None
By Geoffrey James
I’m always looking for tactics and techniques that are quick to execute but have an outsized positive result. In all the years I’ve been in business, I have never found a simple tweak that’s this fast, easy and effective.
Everyone knows that when you contact people out of the blue (typically a cold email) they’re more likely to respond if you tell that that someone they already know suggested that you speak with them. In sales lingo, that’s called a “referral.”
The Wrong Way
Almost everyone (including experienced salespeople, BTW) makes the same mistake. When they get a referral, they write down the contact information (typically an email address) and then send an email that starts like this:
Hi Jennifer,
Jerome Dee suggested I contact you.
That approach hardly ever works because:
- Jennifer doesn’t know whether you really spoke with Jerome or just picked Jerome out of LinkedIn or some other source that connected the two of them.
- Even if Jennifer believes you spoke with Jerome, Jennifer doesn’t know whether Jerome actually suggested you contact her. He may just have come up in a conversation.
- Even if Jennifer believes Jerome gave you her contact info, for all she knows, Jerome may brought her up just to get rid of you. (e.g. “Sorry, that’s Jennifer’s responsibility. Best of luck!”)
- Even if Jennifer believes Jerome legitimately gave you her contact info, any attempt on your part to characterize why Jerome gave you the referral sounds self-serving and ridiculous. (e.g. “Jerome says my product is the best in the world.”)
Net result: Jennifer ignores your email.
February Market Report
The Green Douglas Fir market has firmed up and should stay firm to up through February.
The Western plywood and OSB markets have firmed and should prices should start to rise in both markets.