Best Practices

Six questions to create compelling marketing story
Business executives need to have a story to tell and be able to tell it with passion -- even online. To do so, executives can ask themselves six important questions, including "Do you know who you are and what you really do?" and "Are you doing all you can to attract business?" MarketingProfs (free registration) (8/14)

No sales rep is too experienced to learn something new
Experience and training are vital when it comes to having success in sales. Some common problems that can prevent salespeople from doing their best include honing proper sales training and skills only at the outset, when first hired; losing the motivation to move skills in to a new direction; and becoming complacent. American City Business Journals (8/13)

Management

To measure a leader's success, consider the behavior of employees
One way to measure a leader's effectiveness is to examine the behavior of his or her followers, experts say. "The most successful leaders transcend personality to develop a follower's loyalty to the organization's goals," says author and management consultant Aubrey C. Daniels. Good managers consider suggestions by their employees and use candor when communicating with them. SalesForceXP (8/2007)

Customer Relations

Discover what matters to customers through five steps
Mapping and evaluating a customer's experience will help identify gaps and disconnects. Establishing a process that will reveal what matters to customers involves five steps. MarketingProfs (free registration) (8/21)

Training and Presentation

Attention to attire may sway an audience
A presenter's appearance may have significant influence over an audience. Before giving a presentation to an audience of investors consider wearing a well-tailored suit made of high-quality fabric. "If you're asking for money or looking to create a business relationship with these individuals, show them that you'll be as meticulous with their time and money as you are with yourself," says the owner of one image consulting firm. Entrepreneur (8/2007)

Closing the Deal

Find inspiration in your customers
"...[I]f you have clients that drag you down, who don't inspire you -- you need to think about not working with people like that, and find others who do give you energy, and you are enthusiastic to work with," says business adviser Lori Richardson in AllBusiness.

NAW Insider

NAW's Large Company CEO/COO Networking Roundtable
NAW's Large Company CEO/COO Networking Roundtable, Chicago, Sept. 19 to 20, joins CEOs and COOs from wholesale distribution companies with sales $100 million and above to network and learn. Agenda topics are based on responses from the Executives community and address specific needs of the group, including Going Green, Driving Sales Beyond, Crisis Management, Today's Economy, and Ethics. Get more details and register here.

Cost effective Virtual Terminal through Solveras

NAW teams with Solveras to provide wholesaler-distributors with the latest processing technology. Virtual Terminal allows processing from any computer with Internet access. It provides businesses lower cost card-not-present transactions. Mail, telephone orders can be processed through secure Web-based application that's easy to use. Get a FREE savings analysis to see the program savings. For information, visit http://www.solveras.com/naw.html or call (800) 613-0148.

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