June 2025 Mastermind Recap

“Cold calling can have one of the highest conversion rates, but it’s one of the hardest things you can do.” – Rand

It’s not about pitching to someone right away—it’s about connection. Innovators shared that the key to making cold calls work is to disarm defensiveness immediately.

Here’s the formula that’s working:

• Announce your name
• State where you work
• Explain how your store connects to their business 

Here’s the script one B2B Champion shared: 

“My name is ___, I’m the B2B champ in the store. If you need something, call me.”

Research beforehand helps. One B2B leader said they always look at the contractor’s website or social media first, so they can confirm who the decision-maker is before making the call.

Need help revolutionizing your cold call process? Check out this quick 15-minute summary of the book Predictable Revenue.

Tip: Always ask, “Is now a good time?” It earns permission to continue and shows respect for their time.

Contractors are often comparing your store to the big boxes and online suppliers. What wins them over? Convenience and service. Several attendees emphasized the importance of having bulk order options, local delivery, and easy quoting systems. Stores that can respond quickly and solve problems are more likely to earn repeat B2B business.

A few stores also reported success by having dedicated in-store reps who know their B2B accounts by name and can jump in when there’s a last-minute need.

Before you start searching for your next B2B rep, make sure you’re looking for the right traits. Innovators agreed that a strong B2B champion needs to be:

• A go-getter who takes initiative and doesn’t need to be micromanaged
• People-oriented, with a natural ability to build relationships and make others feel heard
• Somewhat organized—enough to keep track of accounts, follow-up tasks, and customer needs

There are three types of salespeople:

1. The Hook: People who are great at getting in the door, making first contact, and opening new relationships. These are often C profiles in the DISC assessment: structured, consistent, and strong at working through lists or cold outreach.
2. The Lead: People who are great at farming—staying in touch and growing existing accounts over time through consistency and follow-up.
3. The Nurturer: People who are closers, focused on helping existing customers convert or take the next step, are often strong at building trust and asking for the sale when it counts.

You are unlikely to find all three of these strengths in a single person. Each type brings a different strength to your sales strategy, and it’s important to be clear on which of these functions your business needs most. Hiring a ‘door opener’ when you need a relationship builder—or vice versa—can lead to mismatched expectations and missed opportunities.

Some stores are also using DISC profiles to better understand which type of role a candidate is most naturally suited for. Whether you need someone to hunt for new business or nurture long-term relationships, aligning your hire to the role makes all the difference.

Several innovators shared that they’re tracking how much business each B2B rep is managing, and many agreed that when a rep crosses the $600K–$700K mark, it becomes harder to maintain consistent service across all accounts.

If a rep is handling too much volume, follow-ups get delayed, account relationships suffer, and smaller contractors may slip through the cracks. That’s why some stores are either splitting up territories or setting clear account caps based on rep bandwidth.

Trying to do B2B outreach with one giant list? You’re setting your team up for frustration. One innovator shared that they segment their contractor list into spend tiers—above $10,000, above $5,000, and above $1,000—to help prioritize who receives the most attention and outreach.

Segmenting by spend helps ensure reps:

• Give focused attention to top-spending accounts
• Stay organized with mid- and low-tier contractors
• Create more targeted follow-up routines that are easier to maintain

This system also prevents burnout by giving reps a manageable plan, instead of an overwhelming master list.

Even with a smart segmentation strategy, your B2B list still needs regular maintenance. Outdated or disorganized data can slow down your outreach and confuse your reps. That’s why cleaning up your list isn’t just a one-time task—it’s an ongoing process.

One innovator shared that it took them 18 months to fully straighten out their B2B list four years ago, and they just completed another round of “spring cleaning” to keep things in shape.

Their mindset? “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!”

Several marketers shared hard numbers comparing email performance between corporate sends and store-branded campaigns. Personalized emails—written in the store’s voice, featuring staff photos, and referencing local happenings—consistently outperformed corporate newsletters.

Open rates were often 2–3x higher, and innovators found that customers mentioned the emails when they came into the store, confirming that the personalized format made a lasting impression.

The takeaway? Emails that sound like they’re from YOU—not corporate—create stronger connections and better results.

Innovators reported success using email platforms like Mailchimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, and HubSpot—each offering tools for personalization, segmentation, and strong local branding.

Marketers shared that capturing emails at events is only the first step. To get real value, you need to tag and segment those contacts based on the event or interest. Whether it’s a dog day, paint project, or contractor breakfast, several stores are now tagging contacts by event type and tailoring follow-up emails accordingly.

One innovator shared how they segment giveaway entries to drive smarter follow-ups. If you run a giveaway like this EGO Dirt Bike Contest from Young’s Ace Hardware and collect emails, tag those contacts with the label “EGO.” That way, you’ll know their interests and can follow up with relevant offers, like deals on EGO products.

GMs talked about the importance of building leadership teams that round out—not replicate—their own tendencies. One leader shared that they tend to avoid holding their team accountable to process, so they’ve learned to hire people who are more skilled in this area.

This kind of self-awareness is helping stores create more balanced leadership teams where blind spots are covered and responsibilities are clearly owned. The goal isn’t to hire people who think like you—it’s to hire people who make the whole team stronger. There should always be a healthy back-and-forth between people-oriented types and process-oriented types!

Want to dig deeper? Take a DISC assessment and map your current team to spot areas of strength and imbalance.

When leaders avoid holding one person accountable, it sends a message to the rest of the team that bad behavior is tolerated. One innovator shared that once they finally let a problematic team member go, the energy on the floor improved almost overnight. The rest of the team felt seen and supported. 

Taking care of the 160 means showing your team you have their back—even when it’s hard. But don’t just jump right to firing someone who’s being difficult. Instead, give them every opportunity to turn the ship around before you make that call.

One innovator summed it up in one sentence:

“Letting someone go should never be a surprise to them, and it should never be easy for you.”

Turnover stings—especially when it’s unexpected. But instead of spiraling into stress or frustration, one innovator shared how they’ve started reframing the moment: 

“Now I get to buy myself lunch.”

That intentional pause isn’t just about the food—it’s about resetting. Taking a moment to breathe, regroup, and shift your mindset can help you return clearheaded and ready to move forward with purpose. 

Whether it’s rolling out Dexter, refining a morning huddle, or introducing a new training flow, GMs are using this structure to ease adoption:

1. I Do: The leader demonstrates the task
2. We Do: The team practices together
3. You Do: The team takes ownership

One innovator shared that they have team members do it with them three times, so it really clicks. 

Tip: It’s always better to teach people how to think than to teach them what to think. Ask your team what they think is the best way to improve a process. This will help provide an outlet for their opinions and help lead them down the right path.