Special Edition - September 2005      

fosh l QSSP l Profitability l Health Insurance l Sales l UID

Training in Canada

Training Opportunities from SEDA this Fall

AVDA has teamed up with Modern Distribution Management (MDM) and the Association Education Alliance (AEA) to bring you a wide variety of training opportunities this fall. You can take advantage of cost effective teleconferences on how to supercharge your company’s goal setting and strategic planning, and ways to cut the high cost of health insurance for your employees and their families.

Your sales team can also take advantage of SEDA's Fundamentals of Safety & Health Seminar (for new salespeople), the QSSP course and a two-and-one-half day interactive sales training seminar from Don Buttrey, president of  Sales Professional Training, Inc.

Complete details on each program follows. Don’t miss these outstanding opportunities to educate your staff and boost your bottom line. Another member service from SEDA.

 Fundamentals of Safety & Health

October 28-29, 2005 • Chicago, Illinois

SEDA's Fundamentals of Safety & Health Seminar is a unique training program for sales professionals new to the safety and health industry. William E. Simkins of W.E. Simkins & Associates will lead this two-day seminar packed with a concise review of everything safety sales representatives should know about OSHA and critical safety hazard areas. DETAILS

Limited Space Available for QSSP

November 14-18, 2005 • Louisville, Kentucky

There are still a few seats left for the fall QSSP course in November. Nearly 600 sales and marketing representatives in the safety equipment industry are Qualified Safety Sales Professionals. They have broadened their technical expertise in health and safety.  They have gained an understanding of the complex regulations imposed by OSHA, EPA and other agencies.  And most important, they have become more valuable to their customers and their companies. There is only one place to get this training - the QSSP course. The course is ideally suited for participants with 1 to 7 years of safety equipment industry experience. DETAILS

Turbocharge Your 2006 Strategic Plan for Increased Profits

Michael Marks, Indian River Consulting

September 29, 2005 • Teleconference

Improve your planning process this fall with a reality check on your 2006 strategic planning. This new interactive audio conference on Thursday, September 29, 2005 will test your thinking and raise critical issues you may not have included as you set goals for next year.

This is a unique and timely opportunity to get high-level objective feedback and perspective that will improve your bottom-line results next year. Now is the time to evaluate your plan with the help of this industry veteran who does not mince words when it comes to threats, opportunities and self-inflicted wounds he sees every day in his work with manufacturers and distributors. DETAILS

What's New in Health Insurance: HRAs vs. HSAs

October 11, 2005 • Webinar

The cost and availability of health insurance continues to be one of the highest concerns among CEOs today.  The good news is that recent federal legislation has provided employers with some new insurance tools, including health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs).

In this two-part session, insurance expert Kyle Anthony will review insurance trends and explain the highlights of HRAs and HSAs and their economic implications for both a company and its employees. In the second part, you will hear directly from owners of distribution companies about how these programs have dramatically changed their employee benefit packages. DETAILS

The Habits of Selling

November 30 - December 2, 2005 • Dayton, Ohio

Sales professionals will learn how to document their organization’s value-added services and sell them to their customers. With the help of the logical and systematic “5 A’s Selling Process,” attendees will work on a target account of their choice to gain practical, hands-on tools for better face-to face selling. DETAILS

University of Industrial Distribution

March 5-8, 2006 • Indianapolis, Indiana

If you are looking for an opportunity to improve personal performance and your company’s bottom line, the University of Industrial Distribution is for you. Hundreds of CEOs, branch managers, sales & marketing managers, purchasing managers, operations managers, inventory managers and manufacturer personnel working with distributors have increased their knowledge and effectiveness through UID. The next program will be held March 5-8, 2006 at Indiana University/Purdue University in Indianapolis. Because SEDA is a sponsoring organization, SEDA members qualify for special rates. DETAILS

TRAINING IN CANADA

What's Your Plan? Creating Smart Salesforce Compensation

October 26, 2005  • Brampton, Ontario

Which is best? An outside salesforce compensation plan based on 100 percent salary, 50 percent salary/50 percent commission or 100 percent commission? This workshop will present practices, case studies and breakout sessions -- all intended to provide participants with a working knowledge of sales compensation and planning strategies. DETAILS

Stand Out! How to Differentiate Your Company from the Competition

November 22, 2005 • Mississauga, Ontario

In today's competitive economy, manufacturers, distributors, associations and marketing groups are all struggling to define a unique value proposition for their business. But how do you differentiate your business in a market that has more sourcing alternatives, delivery options and products and services than ever before? An effective, offensive strategy helps separate vital business signals from background noise and enforces a successful action plan.

This session will introduce four essential strategies that allow distributors and manufacturers to differentiate their business in their respective customer segments and market environments. DETAILS