CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION, SUMMER CONFERENCE

CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION, SUMMER CONFERENCE
CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS
FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2009

It is customary at this meeting for the chairman to give a state of the association address. Since many of us are board members or trustees, that seems redundant at this meeting. I can confidently say that the association is strong and moving in a positive direction under good leadership.

This gives me an opportunity to speak about another subject that probably has been on your mind more than once during the past 24 months.

That subject is to ask the question, “Why am I in this business?”

My initial response is that I am in the business for the money, but since there has not been much of that in recent months, I must turn to some other reasons.

I like this industry

The industry has good people – customers, suppliers, employees, business owners

We are in an honest industry – Committing to an order from a lumber mill based on a phone call or handshake really does mean that you are going to take delivery. There is a lot of integrity in that type of arrangement, especially in today’s litigation-oriented business environment.
Our success depends on the strength of our relationships – our customers are typically multi-transaction and multi-year customers and eventually friends. The same is true for suppliers. I like to be in an environment where relationships matter.

I love the American Free Enterprise system, and while all industries operate within that system, our industry truly embodies the principles of free enterprise. There is risk and reward; lately we have been operating more on the risk component than the reward component. Success comes with hard work, learning from mistakes, creativity and innovation, and decisions that we make.

Competition is keen. It is possible to differentiate oneself from competitors. An owner in our industry can actually create a poor, mediocre, satisfactory or outstanding business. The decisions we make and the way we lead our companies really do impact our outcomes.

Our business is pretty simple – you buy a product that is virtually indistinguishable from the product that your competitor down the street buys, you send it out of your store on a truck that looks just the same as the one down the street, to a jobsite that looks just the same as the one your competitor services ------- but within that simple framework there is a challenge to do it better, cheaper, faster, with more value to your customer than the next guy.

I like the fact that in our industry we help people build an important necessity of life, and sometimes their dream home. In fact in our company we have adopted an advertising slogan that I picked up at an earlier summer conference “Together we build the American Dream”

I like the smell of cut wood, especially cedar.

I like having an important role in providing a living for 40 or 50 people and families.

In most communities, owning the local lumberyard affords an opportunity to have a positive impact and influence on the community

Civic clubs, school boards, city commission

US Congress through the lobbying initiative of CSA and NLBMDA

Community events

Signage – many of us have marquee signs in front of our stores on busy streets. You can have an impact on the community simply by the message that you put on the sign.

Eagle Scouts – I think that Blake Builders Supply is primary source for all of the local Eagle Scouts to obtain materials for their final projects.

I like the whole concept of being an entrepreneur – no corporate meetings, no shareholders, flexible to customer needs and marketplace changes, rapid feedback on decisions, the adrenaline rush of risk and reward.

Finally, I believe that God gave me the ability and opportunity to do what I do. I also believe that God has a plan for every life. So if I do my best to fulfill my opportunity and ability, that is a very good thing.

I hope that my reflections have struck a chord with you as you think about “Why am I in this business?”

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.

There are Many Reasons to Attend the Summer Management Conference

Dear Fellow CSA Members:

Three weeks ago I drove from my home up to Hiawassee Georgia, to The Ridges Resort, site of CSA’s Summer Conference, July 9-12.

I wanted to check them out, after all Hiawassee isn’t exactly Hilton Head or Point Clear where we have gone the last two years. I was very pleased with what I saw – clean, comfortable and recently remodeled rooms; a lodge that has a rustic feel without seeming out-of-date; a great view of Lake Chatuge from the patio and from many rooms; and an adjoining marina from which water lovers can rent “any form of water-sport equipment” according to my guide for the morning.

In a survey taken at last year’s conference, members chose a mountain setting for this year’s meeting and our staff has done a great job in selecting The Ridges. The mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia surround and are easily accessible from our site. Check out http://www.theridgesresort.com/ to get excited about a weekend in the mountains.

The easiest decision to make regarding this conference would be to take a pass due to current business conditions. On the contrary I believe that now more than ever we all need the stimulation of speakers that understand our industry and the osmosis-type infiltration of great ideas that we receive from each other at these conferences. Our education committee has selected speakers that you will want to hear, for both their educational and entertainment value. And there will be no lack of leisure and recreational activities for you and your family.

I encourage you to sign up now for yourself and your family and for the top contributor in your company – sales rep or manager. I am bringing a couple of my managers and spouses as a way of saying thank you for their contributions and sacrifices over these two tough years. I look at it as an investment, not an expense, since I know what they learn will improve the financial health of Blake Builders Supply in the coming months.

I look forward to seeing you in a month.

Tom Hall
CSA Chairman of the Board, 2009

6 Top Rules of Advertising

By Bob Janet, Sales Growth Expert

Copyright Bob Janet 2009

1. Never run an advertisement unless you can measure the results.
2. The only reason to advertise is to make sales.
3. Only advertise in places your customers will see your marketing.
4. If your advertisement worked once it will work again.
5. The best form of marketing is 3rd party recommendations (referrals - word of mouth).
6. Make your advertisements look different than your competition. Be noticed and remembered.

Join Bob Janet's Profit Club for more FREE tips and ideas
Bob Janet will be speaking at the CSA Summer Management Conference in July. Click here for more information about the Summer Management Conference.

Summer Management Conference Registration Form

REGISTER NOW for the CSA Summer Management Conference.

Click on the picture to enlarge and print. Fax and mailing instructions are included on the form.
For detailed information about the Conference, click here. For more information, please call 678-213-2164.

Summer Management Conference Sponsorship Information

Are you interested in presenting your business to top building supply owners and managers in Georgia and Alabama? Consider sponsoring an event or showing a table-top exhibit at our annual Summer Management Conference.

The Summer Management Conference attracts CSA’s top business owners and managers for three days of education, networking, and fun! CSA is pleased to offer its associate members the following opportunities to sponsor conference activities.

Table-Top Exhibits
Table-top exhibits will be placed in a prominent viewing area during the length of the conference. There will be plenty of time to chat with CSA members in-between sessions and at receptions, but why not give CSA members the chance to view your business information at any time? Table-top exhibits are $300 per table.

Session Sponsorships
Currently, there are six sessions at the Summer Management Conference that are in need of sponsorships.

· Opening Reception, July 9th $1,500
· Morning Education Session, July 10th $1,500
· Learning Luncheon, July 10th $1,500
· Chairman’s Dinner & Reception, July 10th $1,500
· Morning Education Session, July 11th sponsored by Pennsylvania Lumbermen’s Mutual Insurance Company

Please contact Lisa Golden at 678,213.2164 or lisagolden@gocsa.com for details or to become a sponsor.

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

The 3 Easiest Ways to Make More Money

By Bob JanetSales Growth Expert
Copyright Bob Janet 2009

1. Increase your customer base. Gain new customers.
You may not think that is so easy, but it is. The easiest way to gain new customers is to sell to those already in the market, those already buying the products and services you sell. If they are not buying them from you they are buying them from your competition. All you have to do is take customers away from your competition.


Go to http://www.bobjanet/, to purchase book - "How to take customers away from your competition" - 35 aggressive actions and 23 Sales Closing Techniques.


2. Increase your selling price. I have never seen a business in any industry, that is providing superior service, that can not raise their selling price 1% - 3%, or more. You do the math for your business. Take last years profits and add 1%-3% to them. I am sure you will be presently surprised.


3. Lower your marketing and selling costs.
Stop supporting media advertisers. Stop wasting your money. A good rule is,
'NEVER ADVERTISE UNLESS YOU CAN MEASURE THE RESULTS'

Use word of mouth advertising. But not your fathers word of mouth advertising. You know when you hope a satisfied customer will tell someone about you and your business. Your fathers word of mouth advertising is not working anymore. Your satisfied customers have too many things to think about and do to ever make you a priority.

You must create your own word of mouth advertising. You already have the tools paid for. You already have the best and most effective means to make word of mouth advertising work. Your sales and sales support staff.

Train everyone in your business to use the 3 ft. rule. "Anyone within 3 feet of you knows who you are and how you can solve their problems, needs and wants."

Pay your people to bring in new customers and increase sales to present customers through commissions, bonuses and rewards.

I used to send my people to bars and pay for a few drinks each night. What do people do in bars besides drink? They talk about their problems, needs and wants. My people would listen for a problem, need or want we could solve by selling them one of our products and services. We gained many, many sales by aggressively creating our word of mouth advertising. When you want more information on how to use 'The 3 Easiest Ways To Make More Money' ...

1. Increasing your customer base.
2. Increasing your selling price,
3. Lower your marketing and selling costs..... contact me.


Join The Profit Club at http://www.bobjanet.com/ for FREE sales tips like this on.

Summer Management Conference: What Will You Do for Fun?

The North Georgia mountains offer a wide variety of recreational opportunities and you'll want to take advantage of it during our Summer Management Conference at The Ridges Resort & Club at Lake Chatuge. As they say on their website:

Every day at The Ridges Resort & Club Lake Chatuge offers new delights,
whether your preferred sport is golf or fly fishing. Your group can choose from
a wide range of activities including horseback riding, nature walks, or just
relaxing in our pool and hot tubs. Nearby, set off on a whitewater rafting or
kayaking adventure in the pristine Nantahala National Forest. Whatever your
interests, our team will help you create an enjoyable visit.

So what are all those recreational opportunities? Well, The Ridges has a list of them, including links to relevant information, here. Here's a taste....

Swimming Pool
Beach Volley Ball
Horse Shoe Pits
Badminton
Fitness Center
18-Hole Championship Golf Course
400-Slip Marina
Water Sports, Boating & Other Activities
Tennis Courts
Hiawassee River Trout Lodge (Private Trout Fishing Stream)
Lodge Fishing Pier (poles available at front desk)
Audubon-listed Wildlife Sanctuary
Outdoor Playground
Walking Paths
Recreation Options Nearby:
Appalachian Trail & Nantahala National Forest
Miles of Hiking Trails
Biking
Whitewater Rafting
Kayaking
Horseback Riding

Watch this blog for more details!

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.

More Summer Management Conference Pictures...

Please contact Jen Kreitzer at lisagolden@gocsa.com if you would like a copy of any of the pictures!