News and Trends

• Applied Industrial Technologies merges catalogs, adds products
  Applied Industrial Technologies, a distributor of bearings and other MRO products, has merged its Applied Maintenance America and Fluid Power Connection catalogs in response to customer requests. The catalog, which will feature 10,000 additional offerings, will be made available next month. Modern Distribution Management (6/6)

• McLane extends deal with Enmark
  McLane Co. Inc. and Enmark Stations Inc. have lengthened their service agreement by three years. "[McLane's] knowledge of logistics and focus on the customer has helped us grow our business," said Enmark Stations' vice president and general manager. Convenience Store Decisions (6/5)

• Cox won't budge on Sarbanes-Oxley deadline
  SEC Chairman Christopher Cox is shrugging off pressure from lawmakers and advocacy groups and sticking to his original stance to have small companies start to meet Sarbanes-Oxley regulations by this summer. Smaller, publicly traded firms see the looming deadline as a massive financial burden, but Cox says new auditing standards expected to be adopted this summer should help bring compliance costs down. Law.com/The Deal (6/7)

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Best Practices

• The realities of hiring Generation Y
  Generation Y, individuals born between 1978 and 1990, have been labeled narcissistic and in need of continual praise; however, from an employer's perspective, writing off an entire generation is probably not the best option, especially as millions of its members will begin entering the work force in the next few years. Separate truth from myth, and better prepare yourself for this next generation of hires. Entrepreneur (6/2007)

• When to disconnect
  The blessing and curse of technology is that it allows one to work around the clock and from anywhere in the world, but everyone needs some time off to decompress. Business owners should give their employees the resources they'll need to solve problems on their own, thereby avoiding the temptation to continually check or send e-mail while taking a well-deserved vacation. Inc.com (5/30)

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Sales

• CMOs have work cut out for them
  Chief marketing officers may have the "riskiest job in the American C-suite," says this Fast Company article, because their jobs span so many departments beyond advertising and promotions, including public relations, IT, finance and more, making the title undefined, highly accountable yet seemingly expendable. Your job will be safer, says one CMO, if you keep the business growing and maintain top-line sales. Fast Company (6/2007)

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by NAW SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Trends in industrial distribution (Industrial Distribution)

• Focus on becoming buyers' No. 1 choice (CEO Strategist)

• Etiquette, manners for sales reps (DaveKahle.com)

• Good leaders take risks (CFO Magazine)

• Good customer service relies on listening (BusinessWeek)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Small Business Manager

• Get noticed online
  Online visibility is essential for small businesses today. Web sites, blogs and even podcasts are great ways to reach connected customers and allow them to search for you. CNNMoney.com/Fortune Small Business (6/7)

Executive Life

• Dining outdoors becomes new home trend
  Outdoor kitchens are a rising trend in American homes, and the concept is featured in Deborah Krasner's "The New Outdoor Kitchen: Cooking Up a Kitchen for the Way You Live and Play." Cabinetry and appliances made for outdoor use, including refrigerators that can withstand the elements, can turn a backyard into a fully functioning, outdoor eating space. Los Angeles Times (6/7)

• Top 10 picks for Father's Day
  Bon Appetit editors recommend these 10 dishes as perfect Father's Day gifts. Included are recipes for grilled-brined shrimp with garlic oil, beer-brined grilled pork chops and spice cake with blackberry filling and cream cheese frosting. epicurious/Bon Appetit (6/8)

NAW Insider

• Are your customers demanding Level-III purchasing card data?
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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!

Weekly Poll

• Do you take your laptop with you on vacation?
  After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.

	I bring it along to stay connected to work.
	I keep it with me for leisure.
	I have it for leisure and work.
	I leave it behind.
	I do not use a laptop.

Strategic Product Team Leader - DataCom, AV & Security Springfield Electric Supply Company Illinois Vice President of Sales and Field Operations Louis and Company Brea, CA Account Executive Industrial Electric Wire & Cable Home office in Chicago, Illinois

Editor's Note

• New feature: SmartBrief at work, home and on the road
  We listened to you and have created a way to read SmartBrief on your mobile device. Now you can simply open SmartBrief from the e-mail inbox of your BlackBerry, Treo or Windows Mobile device by clicking on the "Wireless Version" link at the top of the message. Your SmartBrief will then automatically format to fit your handheld device. Pretty cool, right? Reply to this e-mail and let us know what you think!

SmartQuote

Experience is the name everyone gives to his mistakes." --Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright, novelist and poet