| August 8, 2007 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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| | Leverage Your Inventory for Maximum Profit.
As a distributor, inventory is one of your key assets. How do you make sure you have the right products at the right place and the right time? For innovative ideas and insight, download IBM's ALL-NEW Executive Forecast and Demand Planning eKit. It features Adam Fein's article on Demand-Driven Customer Relationships, whitepapers, case studies, and more. | |
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- "A" players focus on customer expectations
An "A" player must specialize in meeting customer expectations even during peak times, Rick Johnson writes in CEO Strategist. To become an "A" player, businesses should pay attention to service excellence and give customers more than they expect. He also notes that specific competitive advantages are in the hands of customer service representatives. CEO Strategist
(8/1)
    
- Workers need vacations
Many employees and employers are forgoing vacations and staying at their desks, risking their health and decreased productivity. Taking time off is a proven way to relieve stress, prevent health problems and refresh one's sense of creativity. U.S. News & World Report
(8/5)
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- Effective sales letters grab readers' attention
A well-crafted sales letter may be enough for a business to turn a profit, writes Positive Response President Ernest Nicastro. He lists 15 tips for better sales letters. Effective letters focus on the wants and needs of the person receiving the letter, grab the reader's attention in the first line and contain relevant and specific information. DIRECT
(8/1)
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| | Good help is hard to find.
NAW SmartBrief to the rescue! You won't reach a more targeted, qualified audience in the wholesale distribution industry. Get started now and post your open positions in NAW SmartBrief. | |
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| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Business owners often assume they know best
Entrepreneur.com columnist Patty Vogan writes that she often assumes she knows what's right because she is the owner of the business, but she says she has learned through experience that entrepreneurs often need more help than they might initially expect. Entrepreneur
(7/2007)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Can you afford to let your competition out-gun you? Give your salespeople the ammunition they need to succeed at the Top Gun Survival School for Distributor Salespeople. Distribution guru Dave Kahle will teach participants ten afterburner power tactics they can use to get on top, and stay there, in this action packed, one-day program. Click here to learn more, or call 800-331-1287.
Interested in learning more about advertising in NAW SmartBrief? Contact Henry Murphey at (202) 737-5500 ext. 245 or hmurphey@smartbrief.com
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| Executive Life | | |
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- Experts: Retirement needs to take precedence over college savings
Investors are split between paying for college for their children and saving for their own retirement, according to a recent poll, but financial planners generally agree that retirement saving should be a top priority. "Clearly there's a split in priorities between retirement and education. It feels like you're picking between yourself and your child," one financial-security expert said. The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.)
(8/6)
- Hotels upgrade alarm clocks, offer wake-up call guarantees
Some hotels are starting to change their wake-up call service and alarm clocks. Hilton, Marriott International, W Hotels and Wyndham Worldwide are offering alarm clocks that are easy to use, and Crowne Plaza Hotels guarantees wake-up calls. "When wake-up service is requested and not provided, it rates as high a level of concern from guests as showing up to find the hotel has no reservation," said Bjorn Hanson of PricewaterhouseCoopers' global hospitality practice. The New York Times
(8/7)
| NAW Insider | | |
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NAW's Billion Dollar Company CEO Roundtable
NAW's Billion Dollar Company CEO Roundtable, Chicago, Oct. 9 to 10, joins CEOs from wholesale distribution companies with sales $1 Billion and above to network and learn. Topics are based on responses from the CEO community addressing specific needs of the group, including Building a Platform for the Future, Brand Building/Sourcing/Private Labels and the Multigenerational Workforce. Get details and register here.
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Order best-selling Facing the Forces of Change report
Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain by the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence is a best seller! This all-new study provides practical insights into key trends impacting the wholesale distribution supply chain and is packed with specific action ideas and planning tools that executives can use today to lead the way in their supply chains.
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Brand-new 5 Fundamentals for the Wholesale Distribution Sales Manager
This book from the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence offers a practical but powerful approach for taking your sales force to the next level. It includes essential theories, key concepts and real-world stories taken from the front lines of wholesale distribution. Use this book as a foundation to help you become an effective, high-performing sales manager. Order your copies today!
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| | Recent NAW SmartBrief Issues:
- Monday, August 06, 2007
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