Webinar: Year Round Strategies for Making Tax Law Work for You

W E B I N A R

Year Round Strategies for Making Tax Law Work for You

Tuesday, December 8, 2009
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
$139 per logged on computer

Tax planning is a year-round event if you want to minimize your business’ tax bill. Whether it’s surviving an audit, capitalizing on business deductions, or finding a tax-friendly way to run your business, this webinar will help reduce your tax obligations and make paying taxes less anxiety provoking

What will the hour cover?
Business Tax Planning:
 Accelerating Depreciation
 Net Operating Less Deductions
 Project Your Income
 Manufacturer’s Deduction
 Auto Tax Breaks
 Tax Credits and Incentives

Individual Tax Planning:
 Income and Deduction to Consider at Year End
 Tax Planning for Families
 Tax Planning for Investors
 Retirement Tax Planning
 Estate Planning and Gift Tax Exclusions

And Information on Tax Document Record Retention

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Grubb; Beth specializes in tax planning, tax compliance and business valuations for gift and estate tax planning, charitable contribution and income tax planning, buy / sell agreements, business purchase and sale, and S corporations. She has been with the firm since 1995.

Brian Schneider; Brian has more than 10 years of Big 4 public accounting experience. Brian has been involved in all aspects of state taxation planning including income / franchise tax, tax credits and incentives, property tax and sales and use tax. Brian’s experience includes working with SEC clients and privately held companies with expertise in manufacturing and distribution industries.

Beth and Brian are with Battelle & Battelle, LLP, located in Dayton, OH.

The webinar is being hosted by Turnkey Programming. Prior to the webinar, you’ll be contacted by Turnkey with the webinar phone number and password, as well as instructions for logging onto the website to view the webinar live.

Click the picture to enlarge and use the registration form.

Estimating Seminar: Register Now

CSA is once again presenting our popular Long Form Estimating and Advanced Estimating sessions. These sessions are designed for all levels of estimating and outside sales. The Long Form Estimating session is a two-day session, while the Advanced Estimating session fits into a one-day session.

Lunch is included in the seminars. Please bring a calculator, pencil and paper to each session.

Long Form Estimating - This seminar will give participants instruction and practice in taking off a material list of items usually included in an estimate made by a lumberyard or building material center. Learn the basics to get started in estimating homes, garages, remodeling jobs, and the like! The first day’s schedule runs from 8:00a.m to 6:00p.m., and the second day runs from 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m.
February 2 & 3, 2010: Blue Linx Learning Center located in the CSA Headquarters, 120 Handley Drive, Suite 610, Tyrone, GA 30290

Advanced Estimating - This seminar is designed to assist the estimator or outside salesperson who already knows how to estimate, but wants to know shortcuts and instructions in multi-pitched roofs, and finding wall lengths/floor areas for more complicated house layouts. This seminar begins at 8:00a.m. and ends at 4:00p.m.
February 4, 2010: Blue Linx Learning Center located in the CSA Headquarters, 120 Handley Drive, Suite 610, Tyrone, GA 30290

About Keith Kluis: Keith is the author of three popular correspondence courses in wide use nationally on estimating, drafting, and selling. He has been a draftsman, estimator and manager of a building material store, as well as a classroom instructor on these topics.

DEADLINE TO REGISTER: January 25, 2010

First person from each company: Second person from each company:
MEMBER - before deadline: $330 MEMBER - before deadline: $280
MEMBER - after deadline: $380 MEMBER - after deadline: $330
NONMEMBER - before deadline: $430 NONMEMBER - before deadline: $380
NONMEMBER - after deadline: $480 NONMEMBER - after deadline: $430

Please note that any staff from a member company is considered a member.

(This seminar requires a minimum of 12 attendees, so register early!)

Click the pictures to enlarge and print the Registration Form.

Webinar: Combustible Dust

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Combustible Dust: Not Just a Grain Elevator Hazard!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 3:00p.m. (EST)
$139.00 per logged on computer.

The combustible dust hazard is not limited to grain elevators; lumber yards and wood working activities are at risk as well. OSHA has had a Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP) since March 2008. As a result OSHA has increased their educational enforcement actions in this particular area due to a number of explosions resulting from combustible dust.

This webinar will provide attendees with a basic understanding of the combustible dust issue, discuss critical housekeeping tips, precautions you should take, what standards apply to our industry and recommendations as they pertain to OSHA’s NEP.

About the presenter – Bill Adams is an Associate with SafeX and is a Certified Industrial Hygienist, Certified Safety Professional, and Certified Professional Environmental Auditor. He has extensive experience in all aspects of health and safety. Bill has assisted manufacturing facilities in designing and implementing health and safety management system programs, including self directed work teams.

Click on images to enlarge, print and use the registration form.

Advantage Software Seminar

One of CSA’s most popular seminars is back!

Are you…
Interested in learning more about the Advantage Computer System?
In need of a little extra help with the program?
In charge of inventory control?
Looking to resolve common problems and learn “quick fixes”?

If you answered yes to any of the above, this seminar is for you!
The Advantage Computer Systems Seminar, hosted by CSA and Advantage Computer Systems, will be led in a roundtable­style discussion by Wade Frazier and Ed Brown with ECI Advantage. They are excited to answer all questions and facilitate discussions.

The best part of this seminar is that the attendees pick the discussion topics! When registering for the seminar, attendees will be asked to pick five topics to discuss. Wade and Ed will then create an agenda and curriculum from these topics.

The cost of this seminar is $100.00 per person, and will begin promptly at 8:00a.m. and run until 4:00p.m. Lunch, breaks and materials are included in the registration fee.

Accommodations at the Hampton Inn in Fairburn are available. We’ve reserved a block of rooms, but in order to reserve your room, please call 678-782-4600 and tell the reservations staff that you are taking a room in the CSA block. Rooms for Sunday, November 8 (the night before the seminar) are $69.00 plus tax per night, and includes breakfast at the hotel. Reservations are the responsibility of the attendee. Rooms will not be held after October 21, and reservations after this date will be taken on a space availability basis only.

Please click the picture to enlarge, print and use the registration form.

Webinar: As Long As There Is Competition

W E B I N A R

As Long As There Is Competition...
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 3:00p.m. (EST)
With John Cortright

$139.00 per logged on computer

Add the coming of winter to this economic environment and anyone can tell you that sales are difficult to come by. But, there is still business out there and we need to take control of our future by ferreting it out and making it ours!

John Cortright, our speaker, started as a stock clerk in retail and in a 15 year period worked his way up the corporate ladder to Senior Vice President of a three hundred million dollar building material firm. He dealt with new strong competition, over saturated markets, economic downturns and yet he exceeded sales and profit expectations. Hear about his unique methods for building success in this special webinar.

Topics that will be covered in this one hour:
· How to produce more sales from your existing client base
· How to take business from the big boxes – low budget or no budget
· The most dependable and profitable customer base is like an iceberg, only 10% is visible. Uncover and take control of the other 90%!
· Make your sales budget and increase the profit in the process
· Take control of your business so that you move out of this downturn AHEAD of the pack!

The webinar is being hosted by Turnkey Programming. Prior to the webinar, you’ll be contacted by them with the webinar phone number and password, as well as instructions for logging onto the website to view the webinar live.

Click the pictures to enlarge, print and use.

Webinar: Welcome to Lawyerland - How to Navigate the Court System

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Welcome to Lawyerland: How to Navigate the Court System
Tuesday, October 22, 2009 at 3:00p.m. (EST)
With Annie Catmull with Walker, Wilcox and Matousek

When faced with the prospect of litigation, understanding the court system will help you control costs and improve the likelihood of a satisfactory resolution, so you can get back to business quickly.

One of the most difficult things to learn about the court system is how to navigate all of the filings and motions. The speaker will give you the basics of how to bring or defend a case.

Topics that will be covered in this one hour:
-Small claims, common pleas, and municipal courts. What are their differences?
-What to expect in Federal and State Courts and when to expect to be there.
-Going to court, whether you are allowed to represent yourself and when you are not.
-Different cases, advantages and disadvantages of litigation alternatives: mediation and arbitration.
-The minimum initial steps you should take as soon as you learn you or your company is being sued.
-Finding a reliable attorney, getting them the facts, and how to control costs – the growing trend of flat fee billing.

The presenter Annie Catmull is a lawyer with Walker, Wilcox and Matousek (located in Houston, TX and Chicago, IL). This firm focuses on complex commercial litigation, bankruptcy/recturing, and insurance coverage disputes. Her nationwide practice includes the representation of creditors ranging from large and small independent businesses to Fortune 500 companies. She was a speaker at the NLBMDA ProSales Industry Summit in 2008 on the subject of bankruptcy and the homebuilding industry.

This webinar provides you the opportunity to learn from one of the leaders in the industry without having to leave your business. No travel, no time away from the office. The price is just $139 per logged on computer. To get the most bang for your buck, gather all your managers around one computer and use a speaker phone.

The webinar is being hosted by Turnkey Programming. Prior to the webinar, you’ll be contacted by them with the webinar phone number and password, as well as instructions for logging onto the website to view the webinar live.

Click the pictures to enlarge, print and use.

Webinar: ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes

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ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes: New Opportunities for Building Material Suppliers
with Sam Rashkin
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 3:00p.m. (EST)
$139.00 per logged on computer

Yes the housing market is soft with the recovery time hard to predict. However, one thing is certain: homes will be built far better according to advanced building science principles. The Business case is too compelling for everyone involved. Take this seminar and find out how ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes will help change the entire building industry landscape.

Topics:
 Overview of why specific structures work or don’t
 Why structures that do work cost less and perform better
 How ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes’ new specifications ensure structures that do work
 What materials will builders need from suppliers to meet new ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes specifications
 Preview where housing is going in the future in response to energy, national security, and en-vironmental imperatives.

The presenter, Sam Rashkin, has managed ENERGY STAR for Homes since its start in 1996. Under his leadership, ENERGY STAR for Homes has grown exponentially to more than 8,000 builder partners and is now approaching one million labeled homes. He is also overseeing an advanced technology pro-gram for elite builders called ENERGY STAR Concept Home. Mr. Rashkin received his Bachelor of Ar-chitecture from Syracuse University, completed Master of Urban Planning studies at New York University, and is a registered architect in California and New York.

Click the pictures to enlarge, print and complete for registration.

CSA Makes a Deal for YOU!

Looking for high-level sales training for your staff but put off by the typically high cost of a consultant? CSA has a deal for you. Through our relationship with Tim Shaver of the Sandler Sales Institute, we are able to offer a 12-week course of excellent sales training for only $300 per person. This kind of training normally runs in the thousands of dollars, but we happened upon a situation where Tim is piloting web-based teaching. The only catch is that course participants must complete an evaluation at the end of the program.

Sessions will run for one hour beginning at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesdays, starting Sept. 15 and running through Dec. 1.

Details of the course and a registration form are now available. The course is limited to 25 people, and the fee increases to $400 for those who don’t register by Aug. 15. Because extensive materials must be prepared and shipped to registrants, we can’t take anyone after Sept. 1 (but this one will sell out fast – don’t wait until the deadline to register or you may find that there’s not a spot left).

Rarely do we have the opportunity t provide such high-level training at such an affordable price. Register your sales team today. You don’t want to find out from your competitor just how great this program was!

Click to enlarge, print and use the registration form.

Webinar: What Dealers Need to Know about DOT State & Federal Laws

W E B I N A R

What Dealers Need to Know About DOT State & Federal Transportation Laws
with Larry Marler of Construction Suppliers Association
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 3:00p.m. (EST)
$139.00 per logged on computer

Everyone knows that the Department of Transportation has clamped down. Trucks are being stopped and records reviewed more often than ever before. Do you and your employees driving the trucks understand the regulations? Are you in compliance? The changes that have occurred over the past few years are many and the penalties for non-compliance are severe. A basic overview of the following will be covered in this special webinar. Be sure that you, your managers and drivers all get together to participate in this one!

Topics:
· Who’s under the law
· Who’s exempt
· Commercial vs. CDL
· IFTA & IRP
· Truck Maintenance & Inspections
· Accident Reporting Requirements
· Hours of Service and Work Records
· Physical Requirements: Bridge Law – How it Works and much more…..

The presenter, Larry Marler has over 38 years in the transportation safety business. He served as 19 years as Safety Director for 5 major long distance carriers and 19 years assisting members of CSA. He knows our industry and will be able to answer your questions so be sure to have them ready!


Click on the pictures to enlarge, print and complete the registration forms.

Highlights from the Summer Management Conference

By: Jim Moody, CAE

CSA President

We’ve just returned from our Summer Management Conference in the north Georgia mountains. Though our crowd was smaller than in the past couple of years, those who attended seemed to find it a meaningful experience.

One of the things that I love about CSA is the focus on family. Many of the members are family-owned companies, and CSA has always welcomed spouses and children to the Summer Management Conference. It’s not unusual for fathers to bring their sons or daughters who will eventually take over the business to our roundtable meetings. This family orientation says a lot about the character of the organization. Frankly, it’s one of the reasons I took the job almost three years ago.

It was heart-warming to see families out on the lake kayaking, jet-skiing or just tooling around on a boat. Some folks went horseback riding while others hiked up mountain trails to waterfalls. We also had a large group venture down the Ocoee River for a really fun whitewater experience (fun unless you were in the boat that flipped over, but that’s another story).

While we had substantial educational opportunities at the meeting, I’m not apologetic for planning a meeting that includes ample opportunity for fun. You work hard day in and day out. It’s a stressful business, and that’s never been more true than today. I believe creating opportunities for you to let off steam, enjoy time with family, and enjoy bonding with colleagues is a critical part of the management conference. As we choose places to meet, we do it with an eye towards the activities in the area.

Of course, we also look at the pricing. We chose a smaller, lesser known property this year because of the value it provided. It was quaint and rustic yet nice all at the same time. The food was excellent and again provided good value. As it turned out, to the surprise of some, it was a perfect place for us.

Next year we’ll again be at a more typical resort. The economy has hurt hotels in the same way it has hurt our industry, and hotels that were once out of our range have become possibilities. We’ll be at Marriott Bay Point Resort in Panama City Beach. This is, I believe, the nicest hotel in the Panama City area. It’s set up for conventions like ours and for families. There are ample on-site restaurants (including one on the water with a very nice sunset view) and the pools are what you’d expect from a top-tier resort. There’s great golf and a very nice spa. Water sports (kayaks, jet skis, etc.) are available for rental, and the bay makes for a very nice water playground.

One of the drawbacks of this property for many years was the fact that it was on the bay and not the gulf. While there is a small sandy beach, it’s not the same as being right on the gulf. The hotel has solved this problem with the acquisition of a boat that ferries hotel guests a mile or so across the bay to Shell Island. This island is part of the St. Andrews State Park, so there is no development there. It’s pristine beach, and because there’s no bridge, it has a private island feel to it.

We considered Sandestin for this meeting, but the part of Sandestin we could afford was not the nice new part. From where we would have been, you’d still have to drive or ride a shuttle over to the beach, and their beach is often six or seven rows deep with chairs. If you aren’t in the first row, your beach experience isn’t that great.

So, Marriott Bay Point it is. We’ll be there soon after the 4th of July (Thursday, July 8-Saturday, July 10), and you can tie in a full-fledged beach vacation if you’d like. Our rate is a bargain at $178/night. That rate is extended to July 3 - July 13. Mark your calendar now. For reservations, click here.

Meanwhile, the Education Committee is seeking ideas for next year’s speakers. If you have an idea of someone you’d like to hear, please let me know so I can pass it along. Recommendations are desired from everyone – not just attendees of this year’s meeting.

For those of you who did attend this year, thanks so much for supporting CSA. I don’t take lightly that you gave your time and money to the association, and there are many competing interests for both of those. I trust that you feel that the return you received on your investment was adequate. If not, please let me know.

You can see a full set of photos from the event here.

Sales techniques you may have forgotten – or never learned

By: Jim Moody, CAE
CSA President

CSA held a sales seminar last week, with Tim Shaver as the speaker. Tim is out of Nashville. We came to know him through our friends at Stewart Lumber in the Nashville area. Stewart is a member of one of our roundtables, and they’ve used Tim as a consultant for several years. Tim’s also worked with several other lumber dealers, and he has a pretty good idea of what life is like in our trenches.

Here are some nuggets I gleaned from his presentation. Some of this may be old hat to you, but I found much of what he presented to be innovative and different than what I’ve heard from others.

· Many sales people are simply peddlers (where there’s high pressure and low price) or at best vendors (order takers). That may have worked in 2005, but no one can make a living in sales today waiting for the phone to ring with orders or simply dropping the price to get a customer while wiping out the margin.
· As a sales person, you want to be a trusted advisor with complete knowledge of the business. You understand the customer’s needs, perhaps even before he does, and you solve them (and let him know you’ve solved them). You want the customer to believe he can’t conduct his business as well without you. In this environment, price is not so important. It requires a high skill level to be a trusted advisor. Not only do you need expertise in your field, you also need the ability to build strong relationships.
· It’s easy to be a trusted advisor when you are the only source of information. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case in today’s environment. The internet and competitors ooze with information, so the relationship has to be based on your ability to use the information that everyone has in a way that’s more useful to the customer. Everyone has knowledge; you have to translate it into wisdom.
· Some customers will never see sales people as anything other than peddlers because of their perception of our industry. When you realize that’s the case, think carefully about how much time you want to spend on that customer. Does it make sense to do lots of take-offs for him when he’s just going to use that to get quotes from your competitors and drive the price down below your cost? Many times, sales people spend the most time on customers that contribute little or nothing to the bottom line. Focus more time on customers who have the ability to see you as more than a peddler.
· Far too many sales people get into the business thinking they will get a handful of accounts and then spend their time as an account manager rather than a sales person… because they hate to sell. If you are hiring a sales person, even if they are the No. 1 seller at your competitor, make sure you aren’t hiring someone who’s only been an account manager. Is the reason they are leaving their current position because the gravy train is over and they’ve forgotten how to sell?
· Sales people often dislike systems because they create work and accountability. Yet research shows time and time again that following a system works better than flying by the seat of your pants.
· Old systems (when they are followed) typically involved qualifying a lead, presenting a quote, closing the sale and following up. But this system allows prospective customers to push sales people off with “I’m just looking,” or to take your information without any interest in buying from you. It’s also prone to the “I’ll get back to you” or “Let me think it over” problem.
· A better system involves creating bonding or rapport, being honest with the prospect (“We may be a little higher, but we provide some things that our competitors can’t, and we can’t do that for free. In the end, because of the knowledge and service we provide, you’ll come out better.”). You figure out where he’s feeling pain and offer solutions. Seek out the people who are in some pain (as long as the pain isn’t the inability to pay bills, of course) because they are worth a lot of your time. Solve someone’s pain, and they will be indebted to you. You may have to help them figure out what that pain is by asking lots of questions. You may even have to plant the seed in their mind that they are in pain (a lobster doesn’t realize the water’s getting dangerously hot until it’s too late). When that happens, price becomes a non-issue.
· Never ask “who’s the decision maker.” No one ever wants to admit that they are not the decision maker, so they will almost always tell you they are the decision maker even if they aren’t. Just human nature. Instead, a better question is “Who besides yourself is involved in making this decision?”
· If you don’t measure your time, you can’t be in control of it. Be activity-driven and have goals for the activities you need to perform to be successful (number of site visits to non-customers, contractor lunches, cold calls, referrals asked for, etc.). Track these to see how you are doing compared to the goals. Sales people hate this, but being disciplined about it pays off for the sales person and the company.

The seminar Tim presented was half a day long, and he covered a lot of territory that I’ve not reported here. He also explained these points in much more detail with great examples. If you are interested in more information from Tim (he does sales consulting, training and will help in the hiring of sales people), contact him at 615-399-8700 or tim@nashvillesalestraining..com.

Sister Organization Launches Safety Webinars

Florida Building Material Association to Offer OSHA Recognized Training Webinars
CSA’s sister organization in Florida, the Florida Building Materials Association is conducting safety webinars and CSA members are invited to participate at minimal cost. This Hard Hat Safe-T-Zone webinar series makes it easier than ever to obtain OSHA recognized safety education.

Beginning in August 2009, FBMA will present a series of webinars including fire safety, housekeeping, material handling, electrical safety, slips, trips and falls, and how to achieve and maintain a drug free workplace.

Each topic will be covered twice a month on different days and times to accommodate multiple shifts and positions in need of training. The duration of each webinar will vary between 20-30 minutes and will include a question and answer period. Following the webinar, each registrant will be e-mailed a certificate of completion for the webinar attended, as well as PDF's or helpful documents of materials covered.

Fire Safety, the first webinar in the Hard Hat Safe-T-Zone series, will be held August 13 and 25 at 7:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. in eastern, central, mountain and pacific time zones. Read more.

Webinar: FSC - The Cost, Chain of Custody, and Benefits

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Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): The Cost, The Chain of Custody, The Benefits
What Dealers Need to Know

With John Wagner, Green Editor for LBM Journal and Content Manager for the Green Dealer Certification Program

$139.00 per logged on computer.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) lumber has been a bugaboo for dealers and contractors alike. First, the FSC lumber standard is hard to understand. It is extremely difficult to determine what lumber is eligible for LEED or NAHB points in the lumber category.

After you have that figured out, the contractor and dealer both have to navigate through the Chain of Custody certification, regulation, recordkeeping, and evidentiary requirements to get those points awarded.

To complicate matters further, your builder customers can still attain LEED lumber points by using non-FSC lumber, IF 51% of the value of the lumber used is FSC certified. And to put the icing on the cake of confusion, this may all be changing, as LEED will likely accept other lumber standards besides FSC in 2010, based on certain benchmarks.

Navigating through the FSC point system and Chain of Custody is worth the trouble IF you are bidding LEED jobs.

This Webinar will sort out the confusion, and look at the current benefits of FSC certification for lumber…and for your yard. We’ll also look at what’s involved (in cost and labor) for getting FSC certified.

The presenter, John Wagner is the current green editor for LBM Journal and content manager for the national Green Dealer Certification program, a program he co-founded. He is also a green building consultant and sales trainer for building supply dealers across the U.S. John is a sought-after speaker for industry events and is also the green building columnist for Qualified Remodeler Magazine and Residential Design & Building Magazine.

Click the registration form to enlarge, print and use it to register.

Join Us at the Summer Management Conference

Come and join CSA at the 2009 Summer Management Conference! This year’s conference will be held July 9 - 12 at The Ridges Lodge & Resort in Hiawasee, Georgia. If you missed out on last year’s conference, don’t miss your chance to attend this year! The Ridges is located in the north Georgia mountains and is the perfect place for our members and industry associates to mingle and learn about important industry news.

CSA has booked top educators and speakers in the construction supply industry for our educational sessions. These speakers include Chris Hall, Vice President of Haddow & Company and an expert in the Southeast regional housing market, Mike Purcell, a trainer and human resources development specialist whose philosophy is "Not just your people, but your good people are your greatest asset,” and Bob Janet, a sales expert with over 40 years of experience, some of that as an owner / operator of wholesale, retail and service businesses.

Each morning of the conference is filled with educational sessions, but the afternoon before our nightly dinners and programs is yours! Bring the whole family along to enjoy the resort and surrounding areas. We will also be offering an optional golf outing in North Carolina on Saturday afternoon. There is also a vast array of outdoor activities including hiking, birding, and fishing.

The traditional CSA Chairman’s Dinner will be held at the resort on Friday night and will include an interactive performance by Anthony Galie, a hypnotist and engaging speaker as our featured entertainment.

Saturday evening will feature an optional dinner and reception where you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a last evening of fun with your fellow attendees.



ABOUT THE RIDGES RESORT AND CLUB LAKE CHATUGE
Come and join CSA at the 2009 Summer Management Conference! This year’s conference will be held July 9 - 12 at The Ridges Lodge & Resort in Hiawasee, Georgia. If you missed out on last year’s conference, don’t miss your chance to attend this year!

The Ridges is located in the north Georgia mountains and is the perfect place for our members and industry associates to mingle and learn about important industry news. Each morning of the conference is filled with educational sessions, but the afternoon before our nightly dinners and programs is yours! Bring the whole family along to enjoy the resort and surrounding areas. We will also be offering an optional golf outing in North Carolina on Saturday afternoon. There is also a vast array of outdoor activities including hiking, birding, and fishing.

The traditional CSA Chairman’s Dinner will be held at the resort on Friday night and will include an interactive performance by Anthony Galie, a hypnotist and engaging speaker as our featured entertainment. Saturday evening will feature an optional dinner and reception where you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a last evening of fun with your fellow attendees.

The Ridges Resort & Club Lake Chatuge encompasses a tranquil lakeside escape in Hiawassee, Georgia. Featuring beautiful accommodations and fun for the whole family, The Ridges offers a relaxed atmosphere, friendly service and memorable cuisine. Spend the day fishing, boating, horseback riding, or just nap on the lakeside lawn. Recreational choices abound at The Ridges including swimming pools, golf, tennis, lake, marina and water sports, and fishing in a private stream.

Single and double rooms are available at a rate of $155 per night. Triple and quad rooms are also available. Triples are $165 per night and Quads are $175 per night.

The Ridges also offers Lake and Golf Villa units at a rate of $155 per night per bedroom. Rates include complimentary wireless internet service and continental breakfast. There are no additional mandated resort fees, however, equipment rental charges may apply. These rates are guaranteed until 6p.m. (eastern) June 11th – it is anticipated that rooms will sell out, and room availability cannot be guaranteed after this date. Call (888) 834-4409 to book your room today!

Tentative Schedule
Thursday, July 9
8:00 a.m. Registration Opens
8:00 a.m. Board of Directors meeting (Open to all CSA members)
11:30 a.m. Leave for rafting trip
6:30 p.m. Picnic

Friday, July 10
Complimentary breakfast available to all guests in hotel lobby
8:30 a.m. Speaker: Mike Purcell
Spouse Tour begins
12:00 p.m. Luncheon with Chris Hall
1:30 p.m. Afternoon free for networking/play
6:30 p.m. Reception
7:00 p.m. Chairman’s Dinner, featuring Anthony Galie

Saturday, July 11
Complimentary breakfast available to all guests in hotel lobby
8:30 a.m. Speaker: Bob Janet
11:30 p.m. Lunch on your own/free afternoon
12:45 p.m. Golf outing
6:30 p.m. Closing Dinner

Speakers
Mike Purcell
In 2004, Mike Purcell founded Compass Performance Group, LLC on the belief that the saying, "Our people are our greatest asset," is not necessarily correct. It should read "Good people are our greatest asset."

Developing good people requires good training. Using an engaging, relaxed style, helping you find ways to get your team to reach a higher level of performance is Mike's ultimate goal.

Chris Hall
As Vice President with Haddow & Company, a real estate consulting firm in Atlanta, Chris has over 10 years of experience as an urban planner and real estate consultant including project work on a wide variety of real estate assignments, ranging from feasibility and highest and best use studies to the marketing and disposition of land and investment properties. Chris will
share his analysis of the Southeast real estate market with us over lunch.

Bob Janet
Bob is one of the rare speakers who can say he has been there and done it, walked many miles in your shoes as owner / operator of wholesale, retail and service businesses. Combining 40 plus years of front-line, face-to-face selling and marketing experiences with his unique presentation style, Bob has helped business owners and sales professionals across the globe gain and retain
their most profitable customers for a lifetime of success.

Anthony Galie
For the past 30 years, Anthony Galie has been teaching audiences around the world how to get and stay motivated. As an author, speaker, and trained psychotherapist, Anthony has studied the secrets of top performers in every field. In his wildly entertaining keynotes, he shows
you how they achieve the unthinkable – and how you can put the same scientific
principles to work in your business and personal life.

Spouses Tour
CSA will offer a Spouse Tour for an additional cost during Friday morning’s educational sessions. The tour will include a visit to an artist’s colony where you will tour the Goldhagen Art Glass studio and watch the creation of art glass using ancient blowing techniques. That visit will be rounded out by a gallery tour.

We've also scheduled a tour of Crane Creek Vineyards, including a wine tasting and light lunch. Transportation will be provided. The fee includes entry fees, tasting fees, luncheon and transportation.

Optional Recreation

Rafting
Join other CSA members for a 3.5 – 4 hour rafting trip on the Middle Ocoee River beginning at 1pm on Thursday, July 9. We will carpool from the hotel to the river at 11:45 a.m. Box
lunches will be provided for the ride.

Cost: $60.00 per person

Golf
We'll go golfing at the Brasstown Valley Resort, a quick shuttle ride from The Ridges Resort & Club Lake Chatuge.

A limited number of golf reservations are available at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, July 11.

Cost: $130 per person

Registration Form and Procedures

You can use the form pictured below to register for the event. Mail along with payment to the CSA Office, 1850 Lake Park Drive, Smyrna, GA 30080.

Attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. Please call (888) 834-4409 and tell the reservationist that you are with the CSA room block.

Click the picture to enlarge it.

For more information, please call 678.213.2164

Webinar: Strategies for Selling the "Green" Commerical Builder

W E B I N A R

Strategies for Selling the "Green" Commerical Builder
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 = Price: $139 per logged-on computer
Start Time: 3:00 PM Eastern Time; 2:00 PM Central Time


This webinar is an introduction to the skills necessary in contacting and successfully selling the commercial builders. The shift in emphasis within the commercial builder market segment is growing everyday toward being GREEN. How does that impact the relationship with the supplier/vendor?

- The workshop will begin with elementary language that sales persons need to be able to communicate within their company and the decision maker with the commercial builder.

- Participants will learn the six basic criteria used in determining whether their product or service is “green.” It best be truly eco-friendly. The decision maker will be asking the questions upfront.

- Attendees will learn the five questions that eco-friendly commercial builders ask that conventional builders don’t know to ask. Participants will be exposed to the three basic marketing elements their companies must have in place before trying to sell to this emerging market segment.

This is an incredible amount of material in 60 minutes. Fasten your seatbelts and welcome to the 21st Century as you and your skills grow GREEN!

The presenter, Steve Monroe, AB, CGP, brings nearly thirty years of laughter and tears from working with builders and those who sell to them. He has stayed on the leading edge of trends within the industry including emerging markets such as Green Building. His research and writings in this field allows him to learn and lead workshops for builders and associates as they develop talents and techniques in the field. His newest books, Selling Green In A Black and White World, and Marketing Essentials for Green Builders will be released in January 2010. Steve will speak at the 2010 IBS on green building. He teaches 9 courses to builders as part of the NC Building Institute and is part of the faculty of the University of Housing in conjunction with NAHB.


Click the registration form to enlarge, print and use it to register.

New Sales Seminar: Selling Value in a Recession

REGISTER NOW FOR OUR SALES SEMINAR!

Selling Value in a Recession with Tim Shaver of the Sandler Sales Institute
Thursday, June 25, 2009
9:00a.m. to 1:00p.m.
Inn at Ellis Square (Days Hotel)
201 West Bay Street
Savannah, GA 31401
$100 per person, $50 each additional person from your company - Lunch is included


Want to know why profits and margins are dropping?
· Why your customers no longer have loyalty and how your people can make that better or worse.
· Learn how your value adding suggestions might be costing you clients
· Learn how the bidding, quoting and proposal process might be costing you business

See how you can get more dollars from existing customers and how to get top dollar from new clients
· Learn how to find the clients who really need and want to do business with you and are willing to pay top dollar to do so
· Learn how to get customers to tell you how much profit they will pay you before you get the job

This is a ONE DAY ONLY seminar. If needed, hotel reservations can be made by contacting The Inn at Ellis Square at 912.236.4440 and are the responsibility of the attendee. The $129.00 room rate is guaranteed until May 31, 2009.


To register, click on the registration form below, print, complete and mail with payment to the CSA office at 1850 Lake Park Drive, Suite 200, Smyrna, GA 30080.

Webinar: Navigating Bankruptcy: Protecting Yourself When a Customer Files

W E B I N A R
Navigating Bankruptcy: Protecting Yourself When a Customer Files for Bankruptcy
Thursday, June 4, 2009 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
$139 per logged on computer

When faced with a customer’s bankruptcy it is important to understand not only your rights and remedies under the bankruptcy laws, but also the potential limitations on those rights and remedies. Knowing your rights will help improve the likelihood of a meaningful recovery on your claim in the bankruptcy.

Topics that will be covered in this one hour:
1) How to timely preserve a supplier claim against a bankrupt customer.
2) How to “perfect” your supplier lien without running afoul of the bankruptcy “automatic stay.”
3) How to assess whether a supplier’s claim is entitled to full payment under bankruptcy law (as opposed to pro rata payment with other creditors).
4) The advantages and disadvantages of participating in a court appointed committee of unsecured creditors.
5) When to expect, and how to respond to, a bankruptcy trustee’s demand for return of a customer’s pre-bankruptcy payments to a supplier.
6) Before a customer files bankruptcy, what steps, if any, can be taken to reduce the odds of receiving a bankruptcy trustee demand letter (or of actually getting sued by the bankruptcy trustee) for return of customer payments.

The presenter, Annie Catmull, of Walker, Wilcox and Matousek (located in Houston, TX and Chicago, Illinois) has considerable experience in the area of corporate reorganizations, on behalf of creditors and bankrupt companies. Her nationwide practice includes the representation of creditors ranging from “mom and pop shops”, to Fortune 500 companies, to the Enron Employee Committee. She was a speaker at the NLBMDA ProSales Industry Summit in 2008 on the subject of bankruptcy and the homebuilding industry.

Bankruptcy is a federal statutory scheme set forth in Title 11 of the United States Code.

Bankruptcy cases cannot be filed in state court. As such, this webinar will contain information useful to LBM dealers across the U.S.

The webinar is being hosted by Turnkey Programming. Prior to the webinar, you’ll be contacted by them with the webinar phone number and password, as well as instructions for logging onto the website to view the webinar live.


Click the registration form to enlarge, print and use it to register.

Bob Janet: Play by the Profit Club Rules

It's a numbers game...

Play by the Profit Club Rules and you will Win

It is impossible to sell anyone anything unless they know you sell what they need to solve their problems, needs and wants. So all you have to do is get your business, yourself in front of the prospect. The more they see and hear about you the faster you will make the sale.

Profit Club Rule # 1

Be more aggressive than your competition and differentiate yourself and your business from the competition. Your competition is contacting your prospects too. You must out-market them. Contact the prospect more often, in different ways with more value. You must be noticed and remembered.

Profit Club Rule # 2

You can contact prospects as often as you like as long as you are delivering value that will improve their lives / business. So you cannot just constantly ask them for the sale.

Profit Club Rule # 3

Third party recommendations. Everyone likes to buy where others have been successful buying. Ask your satisfied customers to recommend you to the prospects.

Profit Club Rule # 4

When contacting a prospect always make sure you show them what is in it for them to do business with you.

Profit Club Rule # 5

Market to your Perfect Prospects until they BUY OR UNTIL THEY DIE.Your Perfect Prospect is the customer you can make the most amount of money from with the least amount of cost (time and money cost).

Join Bob Janet's Profit Club

Bob Janet will be speaking at the CSA Summer Management Conference in July. Click here for more information about the Summer Management Conference.

Make Your Voice Heard

CSA is seeking members who are interested in serving on short-term task forces to help us create new programs and services. We want to increase the value of CSA membership and the best person to tell us what we should be doing and what we can be doing better is YOU.

If you are interested in serving on our newly-formed Education Task Force, please contact Lisa Golden at 678-213-2164 or lisagolden@gocsa.com. Meetings will be short and sweet, lasting one hour or less and will be held via conference call so there's no travel involved. The purpose of the Task Force is to help CSA develop the most relevent seminar and educational information we can. Task Force members will provide ideas and guidance to CSA staff and its work should be complete by mid-July 2009.

Help us expand our ability to serve you. Call or write today!

Take the Webinar on New Business Opportunities

Register now for this webinar!

New Business Opportunities…..Increase Your Market Share with Jon Davis, Davis Consulting
Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 3:00p.m. (EST)
$139.00 per logged on computer

Areas of discussion will include:
Emerging Long Term Marketing Trends
New Business Opportunities – Increasing Your Market Share
 Vendor Market Development Funds (MDF)
 Aggressive Marketing Plan funded with MDF
 Increase your market share with Home Builders – Existing & New Customers
 Diversification – Strategic Initiatives for other targeted Customer Classes
 Commercial
 Multi-Family
 Remodelers
 Government/Institutional & Manufacturers
 Package Homes and Garages – direct sale to consumers
 Acquisitions

This webinar provides you the opportunity to learn from one of the leaders in the industry without having to leave your business. No travel, no time away from the office. The price is just $139 per logged on computer. To get the most bang for your buck, gather all your managers around one computer and use a speaker phone.

The webinar is being hosted by Turnkey Programming. Prior to the webinar, you’ll be contacted by them with the webinar phone number and password, as well as instructions for logging onto the website to view the webinar live.

Click the picture to enlarge and print to use for registration. Please fax completed registration forms to 770-752-9726. Thank you.