Cement and Cinder Blocks

Set yourself apart from the competition in cement block sales For someone involved in the sale of concrete blocks, your competition is not only other concrete block dealers, but companies that pour concrete walls. As poured concrete walls become more widespread, you will increasingly have to sell the benefits of concrete block.

I recommend:  Use a concrete calculator to show the real cost of a poured concrete foundation. The cost savings of using cement blocks is substantial. To really drive the point home, prepare a complete cost estimate for a typical project in your area, taking into account basement or slab foundation and the average size of new construction. Use the same specs for both a concrete block foundation and a poured concrete one.

Add value to your cement and cinder block products to gain sales To even out cash flow and increase business, encourage those other than your core customers to buy cinder blocks. You can do this by stocking decorative concrete block, offering weekend classes on building patios or retaining walls with concrete blocks, or brainstorming other ways to bring in retail customers. Also, rent space at construction trade shows in your area. Make contacts with designers and architects. They are the ones who draw up the plans used by the construction crew.

I recommend:  Look up the dates of construction trade shows in your area, and come prepared with samples of your blocks, information the contractor will need if interested in buying cinder blocks, and enlarged and nicely displayed photographs of completed projects.

To increase your retail sales, plan your workshop well in advance, advertise in the local newspaper, and offer it free to the public. In addition to the workshop that you teach, have a variety of decorative cinder blocks available for the customers to view as well as a variety of photographs of completed projects.

Use technology to track inventory of concrete blocks Construction losses count for millions each year. The only way to minimize losses is to know exactly what you have and how much of it you have. Often, the inventory process in a yard that sells concrete blocks can amount to eyeballing what you have through the window.

I recommend:  SyntegraTech and Microvision both offer portable, hand held inventory tracking systems. These products allow you to manage inventory in the field, generate reports and create invoices as well as sync the information to your office computers.