How Avidity Helped RidgeLine Building Products Grow Margin by 19% While Simplifying Their Sales Process
RidgeLine Building Products is a regional distributor and fabricator serving commercial contractors, lumberyards, and specialty dealers across four states. Their catalog includes exterior cladding, insulation systems, structural connectors, and specialty finishes. The company had grown steadily on relationships and service, but rising competition and shifting expectations exposed cracks in their sales approach.
Client Background
Newer reps did not have the same depth of product knowledge as tenured sellers. Pricing discipline varied from branch to branch. Key accounts were asking for clearer communication, more support around jobs, and a better understanding of why RidgeLine was worth a premium compared to low cost competitors.
RidgeLine approached Avidity because they sensed they were leaving margin and opportunity on the table. They wanted a more disciplined sales motion, a practical training approach, and a way to grow profit without damaging long standing relationships.
The Challenge
Through ride alongs, branch visits, and interviews with sales, operations, and leadership, Avidity surfaced several consistent patterns:
- Relationship first, structure later. Many conversations turned into quick check ins or price requests instead of strategic account reviews.
- Inconsistent pricing and value messaging. Some reps discounted quickly while others leaned only on “service” as the reason to pay more.
- No unified training program. New hires were handed a route and a price sheet, learning whatever their mentor used personally.
- Limited branch visibility. Each branch operated like its own world. Leadership had little insight into true opportunity by account or segment.
What RidgeLine Needed
RidgeLine did not need more SKUs or new markets. They needed:
- A simple, repeatable structure for account and project conversations.
- A practical way to talk about value and protect margin.
- A real training and coaching rhythm for field reps.
- Branch level visibility that supported coaching instead of just reporting.
Avidity’s Approach
Avidity focused on three pillars. Redefine the sales motion. Build a training and facilitation program that fits field reality. Turn that into branch level discipline and visibility.
Phase 1: Redefine the Sales Motion
First, Avidity helped RidgeLine give their team a simple structure for the two most important conversations they have.
- Account health conversations for top dealers, contractors, and yards.
- Project opportunity conversations for specific bids, packages, and jobs.
Each conversation type received its own framework, key questions, and clear next step expectations. SPIN was adapted to the building materials world so reps moved beyond “What do you need today?” and into:
- Current supplier mix, job types, and constraints.
- Stock outs, jobsite delays, and margin pressure.
- Impacts on rework, callbacks, and customer relationships.
- Need payoff defined as fewer emergencies and more profitable jobs.
Price became one lever instead of the only lever. Reps learned to present good, better, best options, connect premium products to labor and callback savings, and protect base price while adjusting terms, delivery, or mix when it made sense.
Phase 2: Build the Training and Facilitation Program
With structure in place, Avidity built a training and facilitation program designed for reps who spend their time in trucks, yards, and jobsites instead of offices.
- Short route based learning blocks anchored to morning huddles and scheduled account visits.
- Weekly 45 minute virtual sessions tied to real accounts and active bids.
- Roleplays built from actual objections, price pushes, and delivery issues.
- Practice stating intention at the start of calls and running cleaner discovery.
Reps received lightweight tools they could actually use. One page call planners, conversation prompts for account and project reviews, and a short pricing discipline checklist to review before sending quotes.
Phase 3: Branch Discipline and Visibility
Finally, Avidity helped leadership turn these behaviors into a repeatable system that outlived the engagement.
- Branch scorecards tracking margin on focus categories, quote to win rates, and mix of good, better, best selling.
- Coaching guides for managers so one on ones focused on opportunities and behaviors, not just volume.
- Simple expectations for how often top accounts should receive structured account health conversations.
The goal was not to drown branches in new reporting. It was to give leaders a clear line of sight into where support, coaching, and attention were needed most.
The Results
Over nine months, RidgeLine saw meaningful, measurable impact on revenue quality, team confidence, and branch performance.
Faster Ramp and Stronger Confidence
New hires moved from riding along and guessing to working a clear 60 day curriculum. They practiced key conversations before major account visits and understood how to involve leadership when needed. Leaders reported that newer reps contributed to margin and relationship growth much earlier than before.
“We used to think the only way to keep customers was to give up margin. Avidity showed us how to have better conversations instead. Our team now knows how to talk about value, not just price, and we are finally seeing that show up in our numbers without hurting relationships.”
VP of Sales, RidgeLine Building ProductsWhy This Matters
RidgeLine is a familiar story in building materials. Regional strength. Strong service reputation. Reps who care deeply about their customers. A business that grew on relationships long before it had real systems behind the sales motion.
Avidity did not ask RidgeLine to become something they were not. The work focused on giving them structure, training, and practical tools that fit the realities of their routes, branches, and customers.
If your building materials or distribution business wants healthier margins, better conversations, and a sales motion your team can actually own, Avidity can help you build it.