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The 2007 Small Distributor Summit offers opportunities to network and learn new ideas
The 2006 Small Distributor Summit in St. Louis set a record with more than 80 attendees, all of whom were business owners with sales volumes below $2.5 million. Organizers are hoping for yet another boom year at the 2007 Small Distributor Summit in Pittsburgh, March 16-18 at the Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh International Airport.
Last year, e-commerce dominated many of the discussions. In response to requests of attendees, the topics have expanded in 2007 to include everything from keeping a distributorship small versus letting it grow to re-branding to short run digital and variable data printing.
Brian Governor, president of P&W Marketing Inc., Youngstown, Ohio, and one of the SDS co-chairs, says these summits serve an important purpose in DMIA and for members. “DMIA has a real jewel in its midst,” Governor says. “The success of this program centers around the fact that distributors create the program. People not only like, but want and need to hear from other people in the same shoes. This could not be truer than in the case of the SDS. I have had the privilege of speaking with many, many small distributors over the last two years and I have learned that they all want what I want: to listen and learn from my peers in a friendly and sharing environment.”
Governor says that to make the most out of the event, attendees should “attend and participate, come ready to share. You will not leave hungry. It is truly the ‘re-energized’ and the ‘I am not alone’ feeling you get, along with some good ideas that you will take back to your business.”
After SDS, Datatel Resources Corporation, Monaca, Pa., is sponsoring a “bonus day” for SDS attendees. Call the company at (800) 245-2688 for more information.
To learn more about the 2007 Small Distributor Summit and to register, go to www.PSDA.org/em/smalldist.aspx.
Other helpful hints for SDS attendees
Another important way to make the most out of events like the 2007 Small Distributor Summit is to do smart networking. Here are the do’s and don’ts:
Networking do’s
• Approach networking as an opportunity to build “the brand of you,” which is often an extension of your company’s brand.
• Work events in pairs so you can hand people off—or come back to home base to compare notes and renew your energy.
• Refer people whenever you think there’s a potential match—but use glowing reviews sparingly, so they’ll have more impact.
• Proactively diversify your network by introducing yourself to people who look or seem different from you—everyone wins.
Networking don’ts
• Don’t monopolize people’s time—learn the cues about when a conversation is over and move on graciously to another great contact.
• Don’t hold your drink in your right hand, or your handshake will be cold and damp; similarly, don’t try to carry both a plate and a glass.
• Don’t just collect contacts—you’ve got to put them in play.
• Don’t focus all your energy on the tall, loud, good looking extroverts in a room. You’ll miss a lot of great contacts while competing for their attention.
Source: www.salary.com
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