Wednesday, October 29, 2008

State of the Industry
Randy Merritt, President, Shaw Industries

Randy Merritt serves as president of Shaw Industries, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer and subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.  Since joining the company in 1976 as a member of its first training class, Randy has experienced over a quarter century of growth with the company, holding various leadership positions in the Shaw Industries’ R&D and sales and marketing groups.  Throughout this time, honesty, integrity and hard work have provided a foundation for the Shaw Industries’ thriving business, reliable partnerships, trusting employees and healthy communities. Randy continues to drive these values and maintain the company’s concern for the welfare of its customers, communities and earth.  Maintaining a triple bottom line approach to sustainability, Randy ensures the company’s environmental goals align with its quality, performance value, service and business commitments.

Communicating Amongst the Generations
Meaghan Johnson

Megan Johnson spent several years working in sales for companies like Quaker Oats, Kraft Foods and Xerox. At every company Meagan became discouraged to hear all the negative comments about Generation X. (Generation X is the 50 million people born between 1965 and 1980.) Being a Gen Xer herself, she felt these comments were unfounded.  She was further frustrated by the blinders her own managers seemed to have. "There was this perception of only one way to get ahead and be successful at work. The career path my managers expected me to take was very traditional. They seemed to be unable to look at a different way of training and career management that was relevant to younger employees."

Meagan began to research everything from small to large corporations in order to find successful ways to work with the younger generation. From that, ZAP THE GAP Solving the Multi-Generational Puzzle was born. 

Since 1997, Johnson has entertained and educated hundreds of audience members from all over the globe. She has written a variety of articles about the multiple generations and has been interviewed for many publications and audio programs. She wrote the Generational chapter in the book Success is A Team Effort.  Meagan lives in Phoenix Arizona with four dogs that have a total of 15 legs. You do the math!

Research Project: "Understanding the Needs of Floor Covering Distribution"
Jason Bader

Jason Bader is the managing partner of The Distribution Team, Inc.  The Distribution Team specializes in providing excellence in inventory management training, business operations consulting and technology utilization to the wholesale distribution industry.  Jason brings over 20 years of experience working in the distribution field.  He has overseen various operational teams, managed small and large facilities, and has served in an executive management capacity for the last 10 years. 

 

Prior to joining The Distribution Team, Jason spent four years on the board of directors with STAFDA, the Specialty Tools and Fasteners Distributor Association.  In his final year, he was given the honor of being the youngest president in the association’s 26 year history.  He still works with the current board as an outside advisor. 

 

Jason is a graduate of the University of Oregon.  He has a B.S. in human development and has held many different teaching and coaching positions throughout his life.  Upon graduation, he spent a year in Japan teaching English to corporate clients such as Bankers Trust, Teac Corporation and Nippon Television. 

 

Jason finds himself in the unique position of being a true practitioner turned educator.  He focuses his speaking engagements on practical experience.  He often draws from real experience as a way to teach his audience how to overcome challenges in the wholesale distribution industry.  He has written articles for several industry newsletters and is also a featured contributor to several trade publications, such as The American Fastener Journal, The Wholesaler and Today’s Electrical Distributor. 

Thursday, October 30th 

Current Economic State: What Can We Do
Alan Beaulieu, Senior Analyst, Economist and Principal at the Institute for Trend Research

Are we in a recession? The answer to that simple question is “maybe”, whether we are or not, is of little solace to homebuilders, mortgage lenders and those of us in related industries.  Take a breath and let’s look calmly at 2008.

 

Some would agree that we don’t think the US is in a recession as measured by the classic definition using GDP.  We are privy to a myriad of company revenue streams and these companies are not in recession.  To be sure the housing market and related industries are in a recession, one that is likely to last through 2009.  But other businesses in other industries have seen a slowdown, but not a recession. 

 

NAFCD members are rightfully concerned about consumer spending.  Consumers have been slowing down and/or spending less on their homes.  Home improvement spending is spotty and the more pressure consumers feel to just make ends meet, the more spotty this spending will be.  Later this year consumers are likely to feel increased pressure from energy prices, interest rates and in 2009 we should be looking for increased taxes as well.  None of this is likely to help NAFCD members unless steps are taken to protect the company at lower revenue levels.  We will be taking about these steps in Session 2.

 

·         Short-term and long-term economic forecasts (U.S. and /or abroad) and its effects of the floor covering industry.

·         How those forecasts impact your company.

·         Is the economy going to grow?

·         What about inflation?

·         How will the U.S. be affected by corporate production facilities being moved overseas?

·         Republican or Democrat - what impact does each type of administration have on the economy?

·         Does the stock market give us a true reading of the economy?

·         What leading economic indicators should we be watching for?

See the future first before your competition does!

Crush Price Objections - "Make Your Price Stick"
Tom Reilly, Founder Tom Reilly Training

Price resistance is the dominant objection salespeople encounter on a daily basis. Two-thirds of sales managers report that selling value is the most perplexing problem facing salespeople. Crush Price Objections™ is designed to offer salespeople immediate relief from this problem. This how-to, practical, street-smart presentation teaches salespeople and their managers how to persist when buyers resist. In this 75-minute session, participants will learn:

 

• The fourteen realities of dealing with price objections

• How to identify the four types of price shoppers

• Developing a discount discipline

• Ten things to do when the buyer says, “Your price is too high!”

• How to get higher margins in this climate

• How to just say NO!

Sales Effectiveness During Turbulent Times: Turn Survival Thinking Into Competitive Advantage Thinking
Rick Johnson, CEO Strategist

The sales profession itself has experienced dramatic and far reaching changes in recent years.  Tough economic times only increase the challenge faced by field sales and sales management.  It is extremely difficult to maintain or gain competitive advantage during turbulent times unless you commit to doing things differently.  That means you must turn “Survival Thinking into Competitive Advantage Thinking.”  Emotions & situations that drive reaction are handled best when thinking and sales’ planning is clear.

 

     Sales success during turbulent times depends on your ability to:

 

• Refocus on best practices

• Modify your sales planning to take advantage of market driven opportunities.

• Create competitive advantage by exploiting competitor weaknesses. This includes competitor closings, competitor layoffs, competitor retrenchment & panic response management on the part of your competition.

• Prioritize both sales personnel recruitment and retention.

• Recognize & manage potential margin erosion challenges

• Effective expense and value added cost recovery including rising energy costs.

• Management discipline and the ability revise territory strategies

This session will reexamine sales strategies to create prosperity and success from chaos, maximize effectiveness and maintain or create competitive advantage during tough turbulent times.

 

“Turbulence can be good if you are on the right side of the storm”.  This may mean re-examining your focus, process, best practice discipline & accountability.  Every attendee will be challenged to manage change that is in alignment with dealing with the external market turbulence. You don’t have to be on the losing side of the storm.

Keynote Speaker - Make Some noise
Ken Schmidt

Ken Schmidt has been associated with Harley-Davidson since 1985, and his success in helping improve the company’s reputation and creating demand for its products played a vital role in the motorcycle legend’s turnaround from the brink of ruin to global dominance.

 

In his role as Harley’s director of communication, Schmidt shaped the company’s positioning and messaging, and served as its primary spokesperson to the media and financial communities.  Since leaving the company in 1997 to focus his energy on his family, Schmidt has continued to be a major force in the communication industry, and has provided non-traditional communication and brand-building expertise to many of the world’s best-known businesses.

 

Harley-Davidson, however, remains his primary business partner and his strongest passion. He co-wrote a book with the grandson of one of the company’s founders, 100 Years of Harley-Davidson, which was released in 2003 to coincide with the company’s 100th anniversary. He has appeared on network television numerous times, and spoken to hundreds of audiences around the world.

Keynote Speaker - As The Colors Turn
Denise Turner, ASID, CID, CMG

Have you ever wondered how colors appear everywhere in the market place and in a blink of an eye they are gone? Denise Turner a color and trend forecaster will explain why.

 

As the Colors Turn is for businesses owners who want to improve their bottom line with color.  This seminar is Full Spectrum Sales & Marketing Tactics for slow times. Our creative atmosphere will give you a glimpse into the upcoming color palette and trends that will keep you on the cutting-edge.

YOU WILL:

•Receive groundbreaking insight on future trends and management practices that will make your company more financially successful.

 

•Learn how Color Forecasters track colors and trends; see how they turn their knowledge into sellable goods.

 

•Understand the fundamentals of Color Theory & Color Physiology and use them to your financial gain

 

•Identify the difference between trends and fads; learn how to use them to your advantage.

 

•See examples of upcoming trends so that you don’t waste money purchasing or creating products in soon-to be discontinued colors.