News and Trends

• Genuine Parts' Q3 earnings rise 6%
  Genuine Parts saw its third-quarter earnings rise 6%, as its industrial segment grew steadily enough to counter a weaker showing by its automotive division. "The automotive and office products segments continue to encounter sluggish business conditions, but we remain optimistic about their ability to show further improvement in the fourth quarter," said Thomas Gallagher, Genuine Parts chairman and CEO. CNNMoney.com/Dow Jones Newswires (10/18)

• TTI to distribute Murata components in South Africa
  TTI Inc., a specialist distributor of passive, connector and electromechanical components, has been given an extension of its European distribution arrangement with Murata to include South Africa. "[TTI's] performance, commitment and contribution to Murata's business has exceeded targets in many different criteria and we are sure that this performance will be repeated in South Africa," said Hermann Vogel, Murata's European distribution manager. Evertiq.com (10/17)

• Other News

• McJunkin reflects on 86-year history in photo book
  The Gazette (Charleston, W.Va.) (free registration) (10/17)

Best Practices

• Investigation policy can help if fraud strikes
  Companies need to have policies in place to deal with internal fraud investigations, as there are many supervisors and managers who have never experienced employee theft firsthand. Steps for setting up an investigation policy include developing a list of red flags; outlining the people assigned to evaluating the red flags; and dictating the action plan. AllBusiness.com (10/16)

• No matter how good salespeople are, there's always room for improvement
  Sales expert Dave Kahle suggests regularly investing in oneself for personal and professional development. It's essential to remember that sales and other professionals are never as good as they could be, and there is always room for improvement, Kahle writes. DaveKahle.com (10/9)

Sales

• Ten tips for growing a strong sales territory
  Successful sales representatives serve existing clients while building new accounts. A list of 10 factors to help grow a sales territory includes not being afraid to prospect for new accounts; grasping the value of planning; and working on presentation professionalism. CEO Strategist (10/10)

Hot Topics

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

• Considering attributes that make great bosses (Inc.com)

• Don't let long hours dominate your life (Forbes)

• US Electrical Services to be bought by CED (TED Magazine)

• Grainger's Q3 sales, net earnings rise (Industrial Distribution)

• Do you consider yourself a workaholic? (Poll)

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

Small Business Manager

• Technology allows small startups to act big
  Thanks to continuously evolving technological advancements, entrepreneurs can be as big as they want on a relatively small budget, an expert says. Some tips for doing so include maintaining virtual spaces instead of investing in swanky office space; staying connected with a reliable cell phone; and renting or outsourcing whenever possible. American City Business Journals (10/8)

Executive Life

• Analysis: Plasmas to improve at faster pace than LCDs
  Analysts predict that revamped efforts in plasma technology will help future prices fall faster than LCD TVs'. "Plasma panels will perform better in all environments, and at the same time, they'll get cheaper -- that's a pretty nice advance for plasma," said Ross Young, president of DisplaySearch. CNET (10/18)

• Wendy's location may set bar for new prototype
  A Wendy's restaurant in Starkville, Miss., features a branded coffee bar, flowers on the tables, free Wi-Fi access and flat-screen TVs, prompting some to believe that it could set the standard for the new prototype of the hamburger chain. The Starkville location's Javaccino's coffee bar serves coffees, cappuccinos, lattes and "Frosty-ccinos," which blend Wendy's signature Frosty beverages with coffee flavoring and chocolate or caramel. Nation's Restaurant News (free registration) (10/18)

NAW Insider

• 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.

• Download key economic data on your line of trade
  Download immediately individual economic analysis reports that are most relevant to your business from the 19 major wholesale distribution sectors, in the 2007 Wholesale Distribution Economic Reports. These reports supply a wealth of channel benchmarking data, including revenue and employment growth trends, the number and size of distribution companies, gross margins, wages and many other operating statistics. Quantity discounts apply.

Weekly Poll

• Does your company have a fraud investigation policy?
  After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.

	Yes, we have a comprehensive policy.
	We have one, but it needs updating.
	We do not have one yet but are working on it.
	We do not have a policy regarding fraud investigation.

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SmartQuote

Doing nothing is very hard to do ... you never know when you're finished." --Leslie Nielsen, Canadian-American actor