| October 15, 2008 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Avnet looks to purchase Abacus Group
Avnet Inc. has announced its intention to acquire U.K.-based Abacus Group for $73 million in cash, while also assuming $109 million in debt. Abacus distributes electronic components throughout Europe, with 39 local offices and one office in Hong Kong. Part of Phoenix-based Avent's growth strategy is to expand through overseas acquisitions. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
(10/11)
, EE Times
(10/10)
     
 | What if you had the power to control the unique challenges of your business —at your fingertips? What if you could meet the unpredictable demands and needs of your customers without sacrificing your bottom line? Request a FREE Lawson Distribution Kit to get the kind of information you need to improve supply chain planning, execution, and trading levels. |
- Master art of asking good questions
The ability to ask a good question is one of the most important skills in sales, and it should be a main focus. The language in a well-crafted question can have the power to influence and energize the person being questioned. DaveKahle.com
(10/7)
- Strategies to attract top performers
Having a deep bench of top performers is essential for any company. Some tips for finding and keeping quality candidates includes being willing to offer compensation commensurate with their ability; treating candidates like customers and selling them on the job and your company; and being willing to search for candidates from outside the company's ranks. Forbes
(10/6)
 | Excellence in B2B eCommerce Live Webinar – Oct. 28th: Hear information technology distributor, SHI International Corp., discuss how they re-designed their website to deliver customized online catalogs across millions of products. Learn best practices to maximize every customer visit and make your B2B eCommerce website more competitive. Find out more and register today! |
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- Sales stars aren't necessarily the best managers
Professional sales managers need to master a unique skill set, and just because a candidate is successful in terms of selling does not necessarily mean he or she will excel in a management capacity. Successful sales managers possess a high level of motivation, optimism and excellent leadership and communications skills, among other qualities. CEO Strategist
(10/3)
| Distribution Trends Blog | | |
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Get ready for a volatile 2009
The revenue growth rate has so far not been consistent across the 19 major wholesale distribution sectors in 2008. Want to know what three factors have the biggest effect on the speed at which wholesaler-distributors grow? Check out Pembroke Consulting President and NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellow Adam J. Fein, Ph.D.'s latest blog update. He also outlines what factors are likely to affect growth rates in 2009. Distribution Trends
(10/13)
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| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Positive thinking, actions needed to cope with hard times
The attitude and actions of small-business owners in responding to the financial crisis matter, writes Susan Schreter in her column in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. She recommends keeping a positive attitude while seeking more customers, looking for areas of weakness, keeping tabs on customers' bills and developing a plan for a cash-flow crisis. SeattlePI.com
(10/9)
| Executive Life | | |
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- Hotel promotions go red and blue to mark election year
Hotels are hopping on the political bandwagon to mark the election year with promotions ranging from red, white and blue cocktails to election-themed room deals. W Hotels is working with a nonpartisan voter-registration campaign, and Kimpton's TopazHotel in Washington, D.C., is offering cocktails such as the "Double-Down Donkey," the "All-in Elephant" and the "Undecided Flight." USA TODAY
(10/10)
- Seven courses of chocolate
National Chocolate Week in the U.K. began on Monday, and one local chef is offering a seven-course tasting menu. Some of the samples: roast pigeon and candied carrots and an Amedei Toscano black chocolate jus, and poached figs with white, milk and dark chocolate. The Independent (London)
(10/9)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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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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| NAW Insider | | |
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Distributor Success Stories: Profiting Despite the Difficult Economy
The 2009 NAW Executive Summit focuses on the most important issue facing you in the coming year: the economy. We know your time is valuable, so we won't tell you what you already know -- that "the economy is challenging." Instead, we'll tell you what other distributors are doing to succeed despite difficult economic conditions. Register at the early-bird discount.
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2008 Employee Compensation Report: Available for immediate download
As the U.S. economy continues to present challenges, distributors are reconsidering their staffing needs and how to attract and keep top performers. See how your compensation program compares to others. This report focuses on data from 1,704 distributors from across all lines of trade. It gives you the benchmarks and backup needed to budget employee pay and benefits with confidence.
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NAW and The Hartford
NAW has partnered with The Hartford to offer insurance expertise and comprehensive coverage tailored to the specific needs of wholesaler-distributors. The Hartford also offers expedited claims-handling services and a countrywide network of loss control and risk management experts to help wholesaler-distributors protect their businesses and minimize loss costs. More information available here.
| Weekly Poll | | |
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What is your company doing to recruit Generation Y candidates?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | We attend college career fairs, have a Facebook page, offer flex scheduling |
| We recruit all employee prospects the same way: competitive wages, benefits, etc. |
| We are not actively recruiting Gen Y candidates. |
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions; they pass no criticisms."
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| | Recent NAW SmartBrief Issues:
- Monday, October 13, 2008
- Friday, October 10, 2008
- Thursday, October 09, 2008
- Wednesday, October 08, 2008
- Monday, October 06, 2008
| | | Lead Editor: Ashley McMaster
Contributing Editor: Nancy Melville | Robert Jones
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