News and Trends

• Ikon raises earnings outlook on strong sales
  Citing stronger-than-expected sales of office electronics, Ikon Office Solutions Inc. has boosted its earnings forecast for the second quarter. The company had expected to earn 16 cents to 19 cents per share for the quarter but has now pegged the range at 22 cents to 24 cents. Forbes/Associated Press (4/10)

• Export boom creates shortage of shipping containers
  U.S. manufacturers are enjoying booming demand for their products overseas, but there's a big problem: They can't find enough shipping containers to transport those products to would-be buyers. "A lot of companies have product sold, but can't get the product out -- it's tying up a lot of inventory," says Tim Schwerzler, vice president of sales at Harbour Freight, a freight forwarder. The Wall Street Journal (4/10)

• Other News

• HD Supply to build new plant in Canada
  Northumberland Today (Ontario, Canada) (4/10)

• HD Supply's Creative Touch Interiors comes to Atlanta
  Modern Distribution Management (4/4)

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Best Practices

• Acronym approach makes supplier management needlessly complex
  Companies' relationships with suppliers are of the utmost importance, but relying on a separate supplier relationship management project or product makes something that should be simple unnecessarily complex, the author argues. Instead, he suggests that companies use "a robust strategic sourcing process plus a good helping of common sense and follow-through." Supply Chain Management Review (4/7)

• For improved management, listen to complaints, invite input
  Listening to employee complaints and exit interviews is an excellent way for new managers to learn about the company and to address workers' needs. Managers should also share information from upper-level meetings with their leadership teams and invite input. American City Business Journals (4/7)

Sales

• Make the most of e-mail communications
  E-mail can be an essential marketing and communication tool, but key guidelines should be followed to ensure its effectiveness. These tips include making a headline out of the subject space; getting straight to the point; and limiting the length to one page or less. Manage Smarter (4/3)

Hot Topics

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

• Ten clues for spotting a liar (Forbes)

• HR sees no shortage of job interview blunders (Manage Smarter)

• Wholesale inventories rise as sales fall (The New York Times)

• How does your sales compensation plan rate? (Selling Power)

• Sports psychology offers tips for getting motivated (Manage Smarter)

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

Small Business Manager

• Advice: Get employees' view of how business needs to change
  The people who are best suited to advise companies about how they should adapt and change to face new economic realities are not managers or consultants but the employees who are already doing the work and meeting the challenges every day, says Jim Champy, chairman of Perot Systems Corp.'s consulting practice. BusinessWeek (4/8)

Executive Life

• Senator calls on Congress to OK passenger rights bill
  Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., is seizing the opportunity to strike while consumers are hot as she calls on her fellow lawmakers to approve a federal air passengers' bill of rights. The legislation, which has been stalled since last year, would require carriers to provide drinking water, food, toilet facilities, ventilation and medical treatment to travelers stuck on planes for an extended period of time. "All of us know that delays happen," Boxer said. "What we are concerned about is how people are treated after the delays happen." Los Angeles Times (4/11) , MSNBC/Associated Press (4/10)

• LG: Small LCDs delivering big sales
  When it comes to LCD TV screens, small is beautiful, according to LG Display CEO Kwon Young-soo, who pointed to unexpectedly strong demand for sleeker TVs at 26 inches or less. The upshot, Kwon said, was he expects the oversupply of LCDs this year will be more moderate than predicted. The Washington Post/Reuters (4/10)

NAW Insider

• The Hertz Green Collection: Reserve and conserve
  Now you can reserve fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly cars that are both easy on the wallet and suitable for families and small groups traveling together. Reservable by specific make and model with an EPA highway fuel-efficiency rating of 28 miles or more per gallon. To enroll in the NAW/Hertz Business Account Program, visit NAW's Web site.

• Elevate your organization to a higher level of performance
  The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence and Deloitte Consulting offer Driving Growth and Shareholder Value: The Distribution Value Map™. Known as DVM, this extraordinary mapping tool helps distributors make crucial strategic and operational improvements through a systematic approach to higher efficiency, greater profitability, and added value. Reenergize existing programs or jump-start new initiatives with DVM.

Weekly Poll

• Do you hope Congress passes a passenger bill of rights for air travel?
  After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.

	Yes -- Airlines need a checks-and-balance system.
	No -- It will not make delays any less frequent.
	Maybe, but I do not fly enough to worry about it.

Industrial Sales Manager Broner Glove and Safety Company Auburn Hills, MI

SmartQuote

When people keep telling you that you can't do a thing, you kind of like to try it." --Margaret Chase Smith, first female U.S. senator