The BUZZ December 2008 Season's Greetings from North American Deck And Railing Association

Happy Holidays and Yuletide Carols to you all.

It is hard to believe we have already finished another decking season and I hope you and your families have a wonderful and blessed holiday season.

NADRA recently held the first regional training event and dinner. I have had great reports from attendees that it was terrific success. NADRA is planning on holding more events in the coming months. Plan to attend and bring your top managers and installers with you. See the event coverage HERE and check out the calendar for upcoming training too.

I recently attended an education committee meeting concerning Deck Expo 2009 and I am excited to tell you that the show and conference will have something to offer everyone. We can look forward to increased show size and a broader choice of education courses. Courses offered will range from addressing the needs of the seasoned professional, the new builder on the block, and everything in between. NADRA's pre-conference courses will be offered as well. We will update you soon on these very beneficial NADRA Only certificate courses. Be sure to mark your calendars for NADRA Pre-Conference Courses and Deck Expo 2009 in Indianapolis, October 27- 30 2009 to get the most out our great industry's only pro-tradeshow. It will feel like a whole new show.
As you closeout 2008 and begin to look forward to 2009 take a look at each step of your business and find ways to help yourself standout against the competition. Can you improve your marketing? Building process? Communication with your home owners?

There are many steps in the business cycle that can be examined, starting with how new customers are reached, all the way to presenting the final invoice. Each step along the way defines how a customer sees your business. Customers evaluate these steps to decide whether they will refer you to their friends and neighbors, and also to decide if they would do business with you again. Find ways to make the visible parts of your business as customer-friendly as possible so that your customer's experience is an enjoyable one. In 2009, customer service and ease of doing business are going to be very high on every customer's list. Your bottom line will reflect how well you meet this demand.

I think you might like this and find it interesting. If more people in the world today would follow these principles we would all be better for it... read on

Merry Christmas and Blessings to you all,

Shawn Miller

NADRA President