The Age of the Stone Fab “Order Taker” is Coming to an End
Tim Saddoris
Grand Onyx
It ’s 2020. We’re living in a strange new world. It almost feels like we’re in some blockbuster movie. But business is booming. Orders keep pouring in, everybody’s working overtime and it’s hard to keep up. You’re staring at the bank account in disbelief — you’ve never seen numbers like that!
Fast forward a few years.
After the rush, many stone fabricators did what any smart business owner would do — hired more people, invested in new machines, and expanded the shop floor.
Now, as we’ve closed the books on 2024 and started the new year, a hard reality is setting in. We’re not growing anymore. In fact, many of us are 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.”
Oh, how times have changed. So, how do we stop the bleeding, recover, and get back on a growth trajectory?
Time to Take Measure
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.
Measuring things 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, and they paid the deposit or issued a PO. Simple — order taken.
No more.
In today’s market, if you want to stay competitive, you need to start measuring sales, too.
So, 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?
The start of a new year is a good time to visit with your key wholesale clients. In these meetings, you’re not wearing your sales hat. You’re playing detective on a fact-finding mission to find areas where you can provide greater value. Be authentic and demonstrate your sincere interest in helping them grow their business.
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? Is he following our sales process?
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?
Time to Close: Speed matters. The faster you can turn a quote into an order, the less chance competitors have to swoop in. How fast are we turning quotes into orders?
“You are an expert in hiring for the stone fabrication business. Help me craft a job description to attract realtors transitioning into sales roles. My business is {www.yourwebsite.com}. What info do you need from me to create something that stands out? While you’re at it, give me an AD image to post on Facebook, too.”
You’ll get something that can help you write the ad and an image to go along with it. While you don’t have to use it verbatim, you can tweak it as much as you want to get it right. But, it will save you a ton of time and make the whole process easier. You can also add a bit of information about your business to help customize it even further.
Your Next Top Performer Could Be a Former Real Estate Agent
With upheaval in the real estate sector right now, this is the perfect time to target experienced agents and offer them a pathway to a career change. You’re giving them a way to utilize the skills they’ve developed over time, and you’re getting a pro who already knows how to sell high-value home improvements.
The solution to your seller shortage might be hiding in plain sight and wearing a real estate agent name badge!
Like this tip and want someone to help you get it done? Get in touch with Grand Onyx today and sign up for our newsletter. Grand Onyx focuses on proven strategies to grow your stone fabrication business and optimize sales and profitability.
Tim Saddoris is the president of Grand Onyx, a firm dedicated to building world-class surface fabricators. Grand Onyx helps companies define operational processes and create road maps to achievements that enable more predictable revenue, stronger margins and foster legacy businesses that stand the test of time. To learn how Grand Onyx can help with hiring or automating your business, visit www.GrandOnyx.Pro.