Vol. 6, No. 20 – September 24, 2007

 

 

“Gain Market Share While Increasing Profits in 2008!”

Plus guaranteed closing techniques to close sales faster for higher margins

 

Plan to attend this year’s Fall Fling – the Annual Meeting of MLA members – on Thursday and Friday, November 1-2, 2007, at the Marriott Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, Mo. We’ve brought back the popular “dine-around” on Thursday evening and you won’t want to miss the presentation on Friday morning by industry veteran, Bob Janet.

 

Get ready for a sales and marketing program you will never forget. The skills, ideas and techniques Bob Janet will present in his unique, fun-entertaining style will help you increase your sales and profits immediately.

 

This is more than a speech… much more! This is a highly interactive selling/marketing skills and techniques program that will help you to increase sales with existing customers, as well as attract new buyers and close sales faster!

 

Sign up for this fun-entertaining, sales and profit growth program presented by sales growth expert Bob Janet. Perfect for: Owners, managers and sales professionals – from seasoned veterans to beginners.

 

You should have already received information and a registration form with your MLA newsletter in early September. (This information is also posted on the MLA web site at http://www.themla.com/Fall-Fling.htm, along with complete sponsorship information.)

 

Bob will show you the selling and marketing skills and techniques the top sales producers know and use.

 

After attending this program you’ll be able to:

 

• Close sales faster for higher profits.

• Never hear the word “NO” when asking for the sale.

• Attract high volume, high dollar customers.

• Take customers away from your competition.

• Lower your marketing costs.

 

All this and more, explained and demonstrated in Bob Janet’s fast moving, fun-entertaining style, so you can start employing these skills and techniques right away to get great results!

 

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and relearn selling and marketing skills and techniques to put your business on the fast track of increased sales and profits! 

 

About Bob Janet

• Grew up in his parents' retail/wholesale business.

• 30-plus years' experience as owner/operator, simultaneously, of retail, wholesale, manufacturing and professional businesses. He has real-world experience selling large ticket items.

• 10 years helping business and sales professionals gain and retain their most profitable customers using keynote speeches, seminars and workshops.

 

Housing Woes Create Pressure on Congress to Address Foreclosures

 

As a result of turmoil in the housing market and troubled global credit markets caused by a growing number of foreclosures, lawmakers are expected to give housing and economic issues high priority this fall. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) held a hearing Sept. 5 on troubled credit markets. He has indicated his committee will move legislation to help homeowners facing foreclosure due to unmanageable loans, as well as prevent abusive lending practices. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-CT) plans to overhaul the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) with the goal of helping homeowners avoid foreclosure and to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

 

On Aug. 31, President Bush unveiled several proposals designed to address the worsening mortgage crisis, including new rules for the FHA that would allow the agency to help more people with delinquent mortgages. The Bush Administration previously had taken a “hands off” approach, insisting that the housing market woes would work themselves out.

 

Source: NLBMDA Advocate, September 14, 2007

 

AVERAGE STAY ON THE JOB

 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American spends four years with the same employer. Just under 10 percent stay longer than 20 years. Employees from 55 to 64 spent an average of 10 years with an employer (as they near retirement they stay longer). Those that are 25 to 34 spend only three years. Boomers and older Generation Xers feel like they have to get a certain amount of years at each location to show they have some stability. Young Xers and Gen Y think they have to move around a lot for different experiences and advancements that will help them long term.

 

As the boomers start their mass exodus out of the workplace around 2010, two employees will be leaving for every new one entering. New college graduates will become a scarce commodity. What you did previously may not work to get and keep young people.  I suggest creating a task force or committee to deal with this issue. HR can’t do it alone – they are so busy! The committee must think outside the box in finding new ways to get and keep qualified workers.  This task force must have very young workers on it who understand what young people want, and how to attract and keep them.

 

Source: Bob Losyk, MEd., M.B.A., C.S.P. is a Certified Speaking Professional, master trainer, author, and President & CEO of Innovative Training Solutions, a Greensboro, NC consulting firm.  For more information on Bob’s keynotes, seminars, best practices facilitation, panel discussion leader, and products, please visit his websites at www.boblosyk.com and www.getagriponstress.com  or call 1-800-995-0344.

 

 

  

 

 

LUMBER NEWS – QUICK GLIMPSES

 

Employment Rate Drops, Fed Rate Cut Likely… The number of Americans with jobs fell in August for the first time in four years, according to Friday's government employment report, raising fears that weakness in the economy has spread beyond the housing and financial sectors that have roiled markets in recent weeks.

While construction lost 22,000 jobs in August due to a slowdown in home building and real estate, that wasn't the sector that saw the biggest drop. Manufacturing employment fell by 46,000 jobs, while government payrolls were trimmed by 28,000.

 

Source: AED News, September 10, 2007

 

Weyerhaeuser, Domtar May Close Plants… On Monday, both Weyerhaeuser Co. and Domtar Corp. announced that, if current market trends continue, they might be forced to take mill action.

 

Weyerhaeuser cited weak market conditions in the housing and construction industries, and indicated that "closures, curtailment and restricted operating postures" could be in store.

 

Source: LBM Daily, September 11, 2007

 

Lennox Will Close California Hearth Plant… Heating and cooling company Lennox International has announced it will close its hearth products operations in Lynwood, Calif., and consolidate its U.S. factory-built fireplace manufacturing operations to Union City, Tenn. The fireplaces, stoves and other related products are produced for the residential new construction and remodeling markets.

 

The consolidation will be finished by 2008 at a projected cost of approximately $5 million. The company expects the consolidation to lead to annual cost reductions of more than $2 million starting in 2008.

Lennox CEO Todd Bluedorn said the move is necessary for the company “to be competitive moving forward.”

 

Source: Home Channel News, September 12, 2007

 

Lawyers Have Been Selected for Lumber Hearings, Say Sources… The London Court of International Arbitration is one step closer to hearing arguments in the softwood lumber dispute between the United States and Canada. Legal representation for the United States will be provided by Van Veeter, and Bernard Hanotiau will be representing the Canadians. The arbitration approach has not yet been tried in resolving disputes of this nature.

 

Source: LBM Daily, September 14, 2007

 

Number of Uninsured Americans Increased… On August 28, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the number of Americans without health insurance coverage climbed from 44.8 million (15.3 percent) in 2005 to 47 million (15.8 percent) in 2006. While various health care reform initiatives have been proposed in Congress and by 2008 presidential candidates, the 110th Congress has not made any progress in advancing solutions and increasing access to affordable health care.

 

Source: NLBMDA Advocate, September 14, 2007

 

Fed Rate Cut Makes Homebuyers Winners… The Federal Reserve’s decision to ease its monetary policies will boost a housing market beginning to rebound, help restore consumer confidence in the real estate market, and could give a helping hand to borrowers with adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), according to the National Association of Realtors ®.

 

“We believe that the Federal Reserve Board made the right move today in lowering the interest rate,” said Pat V. Combs, president of the National Association of Realtors ® and vice president of Coldwell Banker-AJS-Schmidt in Grand Rapids, Mich. “Making borrowing more affordable will make money more available and this could go a long way in helping turn around the sluggish housing market.”

 

Source: National Association of Realtors, September 18, 2007

 

Weyerhaeuser to Close British Columbia Sawmill… Forest products company Weyerhaeuser announced Monday its plan to close its Okanagan Falls sawmill as part of an effort to restructure its operations in Southern British Columbia.

 

The company will also make improvements to its Princeton sawmill totaling more than $5.5 million.

 

Source: LBM Daily, September 19, 2007

 

Green Globes Initiative Now Claims Recognition by 11 States; Things Are Messy in California… An effort supported by several regional LBM groups to assure diversity in states' green certification programs appears to be making headway. The Green Building Initiative (GBI) reported Sept. 13 that 11 states now formally recognize GBI's Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system. Meanwhile, the situation in California remains unsettled. The Lumber Association of California and Nevada reports that several bills touching on certification standards for green construction now await action from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it's uncertain which will be signed and which will be vetoed. "LACN and other industry interests will work with the administration this fall on drafting a new executive order from the governor on green building," LACN executive director Ken Dunham reported to members.

 

Source: ProSales Business Update, September 19, 2007

 

Housing Starts Fall 2.6 Percent In August… Housing starts fell 2.6 percent in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.331 million units as the downswing in the housing market continued, according to figures released by the Commerce Department today. Starts were down 19.1 percent from a year earlier, falling to the lowest level in 12 years.

 

Starts of new single-family homes were down 7.1 percent for the month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 988,000 units. The August pace for single-family construction was 27.1 percent below a year earlier.

 

“Today’s report is very much in line with what builders are reporting in our own surveys — that they are cutting back on new production and focusing on reducing their inventories by offering a variety of incentives to boost sales and limit cancellations,” said Brian Catalde, president of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from El Segundo, Calif.

 

Source: NAHB, September 19, 2007

 

Weyerhaeuser Purchases New Sawmill… On Thursday, Weyerhaeuser revealed its plans to purchase a sawmill in Idabel, Okla. from the Bibler Brothers Lumber Company.

 

The sawmill has done business on a contract basis with Weyerhaeuser in the past and currently employs approximately 130 workers, producing 130 million board feet annually.

 

Source: LBM Daily, September 21, 2007

 

 

It Pays to Check Medical Bills

Federated Announces Enhancements in “Veri-Comp” Program

 

Did you know that members in the association’s group health plan with Federated Mutual Insurance Company may be rewarded for finding errors in their medical billings?

 

Federated recently enhanced its “Veri-Comp Benefit” program, which pays monetary rewards when insured members find billing errors on health claims. The reward is 50 percent of the difference between the original allowed amount and the correct allowed amount, up to $1,000 (previously $500). The reward is payable whether the original allowed amount was applied to the deductible or a check payment was made.

 

In addition to the increased award amount, the reward now applies to all covered medical providers. The program previously applied only to hospital billing errors. If you are insured with Federated, just follow these steps and you might collect a reward:

 

·        Review your medical bills for accuracy.

·        If you find an error (a charge for something you did not receive), request a corrected bill from the medical provider.

·        Call your Federated health claims service office to report the error and notify them that a corrected bill will follow.

·        When you receive the corrected bill, send it to the health claims office along with the original bill