| November 13, 2009 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Survey: Number of job openings in U.S. on the rise
The number of job openings in the U.S., including in the manufacturing and professional services sectors, increased in August and September, according to a Labor Department survey. "This rise in manufacturing bodes well for at least a mild recovery in other areas," said Steven Wieting, U.S. economist at Citi Global Markets. The Wall Street Journal
(11/12)
     
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Feds predict joblessness will remain high for years: Janet Yellen, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, say near-record lows in employment indicate that recovery may be marked by low consumer spending and a continued high unemployment rate. A National Federation of Independent Business report Tuesday indicated that owners of small firms have little optimism about recovery and more of them are planning to lay off workers than hire workers. National Public Radio/The Associated Press
(11/11)
, Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.)/The Associated Press
(11/10)
- U.S. manufacturing-technology consumption increased in September
U.S. manufacturing-technology consumption jumped 17.8% in September from the previous month to $153.55 million, per the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association and The Association For Manufacturing Technology. That is a 69.3% drop from the $500.57 million total that was reported in September 2008. IndustryWeek
(11/10)
- Consumer confidence inches upward
Consumer confidence in the 14-day period starting on Oct. 25 inched upward to its best two-week gain since April, per the ABC News Consumer Comfort Index, although the gauge remained mired in negative territory at -46 on a 100-point scale. Of the Americans polled, 11% rated the economy as being in excellent or good condition, while 25% said they believe that now is an excellent or good time to buy products. ABC News
(11/10)
 | Many of today's wholesale distributors have a hodge-podge of software products in use in their business, which often limits the ability of a business to grow and thrive. In this free white paper learn more about the value of integrated management software and how integrated software can boost productivity, reduce errors, and aid in the growth of your business. |
| Best Practices |  | |
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- "Firefly effect" allows workers to shine
The job of a leader is to create an environment where individuals can tap into their original ideas and feel free to be creative, writes Kimberly Douglas, the author of "The Firefly Effect." The title, based on patterns observed when children chase fireflies, applies to the workplace: The chase is exciting as a shared effort, everyone is clear on the goal, and the group seeks better ways to succeed in its mission. Leadership Now/Leading Blog
(11/9)
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- Don't let negative thoughts drag down performance
Given alone time, many salespeople often find themselves dwelling on negative thoughts, which leads to poor performance. Training oneself in the practice of positive self-talk can shift that trend, and some tips include collecting positive thoughts and repeating those thoughts silently. DaveKahle.com
(11/10)
| Small Business Manager | | |
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- 5 ways to improve the customer experience
Stuart Kiefer, division manager for Loyalty Solutions at
First Data in Atlanta, offers five tips for improving the customer experience to make a small business more competitive. Among Kiefer's tips: Offer real-time incentives, track spending behavior and customize communications. BusinessWeek/Today's Tip
(11/10)
| Industry Insights | | |
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 Best practice: Supplier stratification
Many of the best-known best practices in the area of supplier-relationship management sound great, but they "are often misdirected in practice," writes the team from the Council for Research on Distributor Competitiveness, in this "Managing in an Uncertain Economy" blog post. They go on to explain some tried-and-true best practices that you can put to use in your business. Managing in an Uncertain Economy blog
(11/3)
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| Executive Life | | |
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- More travel firms get into virtual-meeting business
As companies continue to keep their travel expenses to a minimum, some travel firms, such as Marriott International and Starwood Hotels and Resorts, are striving to cater to their needs by entering the virtual-meeting business. While some may see the move as counterintuitive, the companies are looking at it as a way to expand their reach. "There's an opportunity for us not just to host a meeting but also to host room nights for people traveling to those hubs," said Mary Casey, a vice president at Starwood. The New York Times
(11/9)
- Lawmakers seek to spread emergency alerts with FM cell phones
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is urging that U.S. cell phones be equipped with FM tuners to broaden access to emergency alerts. In a letter to the DHS and FCC, the lawmakers point out that only a handful of U.S. cell phone models include FM tuners, compared to some 700 million handsets overseas. "Everyone involved, including the American public and public safety officials, as well as the mobile phone and broadcasting industries, stands to benefit," according to the letter. Radio Online
(11/9)
| NAW Insider | | |
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The Distributor Specialist: Customer Champion, Profit Generator
Specialists are used by a supermajority of top-performing distributors. As defined, the specialist supports the "front-line" sales team and other departments by playing a specific -- usually product- or technology-related -- role in the sales process. The specialist furnishes technical support, sales backup, marketing direction and product management. Learn how to use the specialist to be more profitable in today's down economy.
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Sales executives: Give a copy to every front-line salesperson
Distributor salespeople need a consistent sales model that provides them with the structure to effectively use their talents and skills for increased profitability -- especially today. Objective-Based Selling in Wholesale Distribution provides exactly that sales model. It is specifically geared to distributor salespeople in all lines of trade. It will teach your salespeople how to sell more at higher gross margins.
| Weekly Poll | | |
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Does your company use social media as part of its CRM strategy?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | Yes. |
| No. |
| No, but we expect to soon. |
| I don't know. |
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| Controller | Robinson HR Consulting (search consultant for client) | Wilmington NC |
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| SmartQuote | | |
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 | How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"
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