One Event You Can’t Miss   Water & Wastes Digest May 2005   Tim Gregorski, Editorial Director
In a recent interview I conducted with AWWA Deputy Executive Director Paula MacIlwaine, more than 12,000 industry professionals are expected to attend.

Steady But Sure   Water & Wastes Digest December 2004   By Tim Gregorski
Additionally, WWD asked those interviewed for their comments on what the industry can expect in 2005.

Interested in Saving Money? Control Your Life Cycle Costs   Water & Wastes Digest February 2004   By Tim Gregorski
In-depth analysis of equipment life cycle costs and educated decisions by utility managers can help minimize unexpected expenses while maximizing production life.

Opportunities Bring Cash   Water Quality Products August 2003   Wendi Hope King
As many of us wonder when the economy will make its massive turn around, others of us feel that maybe this will be as favorable as it gets for a long time. We must make the best of it. To assist you, we offer our Annual Buyer's Guide complete with supplier and product listings, a product/service guide and an index of associations and government entities that may help advance you even further down the road to prosperity.
PDF Version

Lead Generation   Water Quality Products August 2003   Carl Davidson, Sales & Management Solutions
Having enough leads allows you to attract and keep great salespeople. Nothing increases recruiting results like being able to say, "We provide the leads and appointments." It also increases production. Dealers who provide leads average twice the sales per salesperson as those who do not. The best thing you can do for your company is to lock yourself in a private room for a few hours and plan your marketing plan for the next 12 months. If you decide to do this exercise, here are a few areas you might consider.
PDF Version

Top 10 Signs Your Sales Career is Dying   Water Quality Products May 2003   Carl Davidson
Here are the top 10 signs I have noticed over the years that are warnings your productivity as a salesperson is waning. I put them before you, not to be critical, but in the hope that recognizing the early warning signs may help you stay on top of your game for years to come.
PDF Version

Prospecting for Salespeople and Owners   Water Quality Products April 2003   Carl Davidson
Prospecting is quite important to your career if you are in sales and to the company if you are in management. Often we get proficient at things we do not initially like if it is important. The following is a snapshot at just how important prospecting is.
PDF Version

Feeling Lucky? The Truth About 1099 Contractors   Water Quality Products March 2003   Carl Davidson
I am surprised at seminars when people tell me they hire their salespeople as 1099 independent contractors. We do not recommend this for business and tax reasons. This article discusses why we believe you are at a disadvantage using this method of remuneration.
PDF Version

In Management, One Size Does Not Fit All   Water Quality Products December 2002   Carl Davidson
Great salespeople learn to customize their sales presentations to the thousands of customer types. However, many owners and managers stop customizing when it comes to their employees. This article will look at some of the sales profiles you may have on your team and ways to get the most out of them.
PDF Version

Straight Talk About Ethics   Water Quality Products October 2002   Carl Davidson
Our industry seems racked with questions about ethics when, in my opinion, its real problems are problems of selling skills. But many market areas have seen fast-talking companies come in and turn the public against the water equipment industry. Let's take a look at the issues and the answers.
PDF Version

Recipe to Outside Sales Success   Water Quality Products June 2002   Jason B. Schell and Peter Strain, Water Depot University
There are 10 ingredients to a successful sales team. Read the following 10 items to see if your sales force measures up.
PDF Version

Cold or Gold?   Water Quality Products June 2002   By Carl Davidson
Remember that opportunity is calling your company every day. Take a moment to ask who is answering and are they turning those calls into cold or gold?
PDF Version

Hedging Your Hiring Bets   Water Quality Products May 2002   Carl Davidson
Whom you hire is an important decision. The right candidate will bring sales and profits to your company. The wrong one can mean serious losses and lawsuits. On average, you invest $20,000 in potential profit, training and payroll in each new candidate. Here are some tips from great sales managers as to how to make the right choice of whom to hire.
PDF Version

Are You Sold Enough to Sell?   Water Quality Products April 2002   Carl Davidson
The truth is that enthusiasm is what you need to sell but some of us are sorely lacking in this precious commodity ... and it’s no wonder. How can you stay up and enthusiastic enough to sell?
PDF Version

Getting Paid to Listen   Water Quality Products March 2002   Carl Davidson
Is there a job out there where you get paid big bucks to listen? I mean sitting with someone over a coffee and just listening? You may guess a psychiatrist or lawyer and that would be correct. The truth is, all of us in the sales profession get paid big bucks to listen.

The Need For Marketing   Water Quality Products March 2002    Walt Denny
Starting and running a business without a marketing plan can be like trying to fly an airplane without radar—you might know what your destination is, but you haven’t a “road map” to get you there. Every company, whether it is established or still in the idea phase, needs a marketing plan that serves as an integral part of its overall business plan for company operations. A good marketing plan supports a company’s broader business goals by formulating a sound marketing strategy and an action plan (i.e., specific marketing activities such as web promotions, direct mail, etc.) that can carve a direct path to bolstered product sales, market share and long-term profitability and success.

How Many Demos is a Full Day's Night?   Water Quality Products January 2002   Carl Davidson
Recently, several salespeople and managers told me they don't believe a reasonable person can average a minimum of two demos per day as we recommend on our recorded training videos. Are we leaving out important practical considerations? This article will take a look at this issue and help you make this important decision. Your financial success is determined by the decisions you make, so choose wisely.
PDF Version

Can Technology Help You Sell More? Part 2   Water Quality Products November 2001   By Carl Davidson
Last month, I discussed a few ideas on tossing your selling techniques into the new century by utilizing available technologies. This month lists a few more selling ideas that have proved themselves worthy of a salesman’s efforts.
PDF Version

In Need of an Economy Upswing   Water Quality Products October 2001   G.A. Marken, Marken Communications, Inc.
Historically, the economy improves only when people are convinced that it is improving. Apparently, the Bush Administration hasn’t been all that convincing because the economy isn’t steadily improving. At least, not according to corporate managers and, most importantly, not according to consumers.
PDF Version

Can Technology Help You Sell More?   Water Quality Products October 2001   Carl Davidson
Many of us went into sales because we were good with people and bad with paper work. As a result, many of us have shied away from changing technology during the last few decades.
PDF Version

Water Tests Protect Customers from Guilty Parties   Water Quality Products September 2001   Wendi Hope King, WQP Staff
Despite the regulations set for treatment plants, the general public will find itself focusing on the negative and seeking additional treatment from our industry. This spells opportunity for water treatment dealers to illustrate how their services can benefit the public.
PDF Version

Packing and Positioning   Water Quality Products June 2001   Carl Davidson
There are two pillars to success in our industry that some salespeople overlook. They make a big difference to sales and profits and deserve some study. They are what separates the big earners from the not-so-big earners.
PDF Version

Top 12 Things We All Do That Kill the Close   Water Quality Products April 2001   Carl Davidson
Sometimes we are so close to the sale we can taste it until we do something that kills it in its tracks. To prevent us all from doing this, here are the top 12 things we all do sometimes to kill the sale.
PDF Version

I've Never Met a Rich Sharecropper   Water Quality Products March 2001   Carl Davidson
Sharecroppers are poor tenant farmers. They farm the land for the owner in exchange for a share of or percentage of the crops they produce for the owner. They do what they are told and have no land to farm themselves.
PDF Version

We Ought to Be Committed   Water Quality Products February 2001   Carl Davidson
We ought to be committed. No, that isn’t a comment on our mental stability but rather a comment addressing the fact that we ought to be totally committed to success if we intend to achieve it.
PDF Version

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?   Water Quality Products January 2001   Carl Davidson
As the beginning of a new year rolls around, I think "Who wants to be a millionaire?" is an appropriate question to ask.
PDF Version

International Business: The Business Card   Water Quality Products January 2001   Eric Aparnieks
Have you ever wondered why we carry business cards? If you ever stopped to think about it, they really are unique in many ways.

But How Much Is It?   Water Quality Products January 2001   Carl Davidson
Could we get more of those people to allow us into their home for a demonstration? Here are a few tips from veterans of the phone wars.
PDF Version

Oh Yeah? Well, I Quit!   Water Quality Products December 2000   Carl Davidson
I was giving a seminar last week when one of the managers attending said, "You can’t tell people to work hard in this job market or they just quit." The other managers agreed.

Who Are You Most Like?   Water Quality Products November 2000   Carl Davidson
We have observed that great salespeople spend a lot of time examining their attitudes and habits and selling themselves everyday on the ones that lead to success. Success requires recharging and selling yourself everyday. Look at the chart and see which column best describes you.

Using Optimism to Make the Sale   Water Quality Products February 2000   Carl Davidson
Can optimism help you make an extra $10,000 to $20,000 a year? It can if professional optimism is practiced in all sales situations.

An Interesting Twist on Sales Compensation   Water Quality Products October 1999   Carl Davidson
A few weeks ago, a client was interested in changing his company’s remuneration plan. We came up with a pay plan that could give a company important advantages.

Rentals vs. Sales: Who Decides?   Water Quality Products September 1999   Carl Davidson
If you want to get all the sales you can get, there is only one person who can decide if it should be a sales or a rental, and that person is the customer.