At OnPoint we feel it important to help you stay informed of new marketing ideas, sales strategies and new business tools. Below you will find links to numerous PDF articles. We are sure you will find these articles valuable.

"Wood Digest" Magazine Articles (by Rick Hill)

We All Hate Goals So Think Small - November '07
People tend to rebel against what others force on them. Goals only work if they are personal to and decided by the individual. Read more.

Information Overload - October '07
Emails, blogs, podcasts, Customer Relationship Managers, (CRM) Blackberry devices, iPhones, they all offer a new path to doing the same work. But do they make our jobs easier or more confusing? Read more.

Trained to Listen - August '07
Consultative selling works best on long-term sales where relationship building is the key to future business. Establishing your reputation as an ally to your customer makes every sale, even the commodities, easier. There are several ways to increase your consultative selling skills; the first is through better listening. Read more.

If Everyone is Going to Eat, Someone Has to Sell - July '07
Prospects and customers are not looking for the smoothest talking, best dressed sales person. They do not care if you are the most technical guy to walk in their door. What they want to know is that you understand what they are trying to create. When you follow up quickly with a summary, note or email, you show them that you follow through, that you understand and that you care about their ideas. Read more.

Lean for the Sales Team - May '07
Lean methods are focused on reducing cost by eliminating any action that does not add value to the customer; therefore, all call reports, activity reports, forecasting and even expense accounts are not lean. Read more.

Motivating Sales for Higher Margins - March '07
To include everyone in a sales incentive is essential to success. Take the time to set up a program that shows everybody in the company how they profit from these new orders. The goal is to get the whole company thinking about supporting the sales team by doing their part to make it happen. Read more.

Business Slow? Get it Together - December '06
You have no control over the market; you only have control of your reaction to it. No matter what you think or say, the market will do as it wants. The question is: How do you prepare for it? Do you pull back or do the same as you always have? Do you layoff staff or add salespeople? Read more.

MANA Research Bulletin (Excepts from Section: E-A11)

The Value of Using a Manufacturers Agent
The Independent Sales Agent and You
Selecting The Agency That Is Right For You
Agreements
What to Expect from Your Agency
What Your Agency Expects From You
Communication for A Mutually Profitable Relationship
Training Agency Personnel
Sales Tools
Points in Motivating Sales Agencies - A Checklist
Measuring the Performance of An Agency
How to Un-Motivate Sales Agencies and Lose Your Sales Volume