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| MCAA National Update for February 27, 2012 |
MEET THE NEXT GENERATION OF INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AT MCAA 2012
If your business plans for the coming year include hiring a young professional or student intern, you just might meet him or her at MCAA 2012 (March 18-22, Walt Disney World®). More than 130 students from MCAA college chapters will be at the convention to learn, network and discuss their career plans with MCAA members. The top contenders in this year's MCAA Student Chapter Competition-Sacramento State University, Illinois State University, Southern Polytechnic State University and the Milwaukee School of Engineering-will present their project bids on Monday, March 19, from 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Grand Harbor Ballroom. And, students from 25 MCAA student chapters will be available to meet and greet MCAA members at the Annual Student Chapter Exhibit on Tuesday, March 20, from 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. (in conjunction with the Annual Manufacturer/Supplier Exhibit). You will also be able to meet students throughout the convention at the general sessions, workshops and social events. This is one more reason why attending MCAA 2012 is the best investment you'll make all year. Go to www.mcaa.org/mcaa2012 for more program and registration information. |
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SIGNED UP FOR Developing the Sales Plan WEBINAR?
If you have not yet registered for the MSCA webinar, Developing the Sales Plan, there's still time. The first webinar in a six-part series-Building the Ultimate Sales-will take place on February 29, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenter Steve Smith, senior vice president of ACCO Engineered Systems, Inc. (Glendale, CA), will explain how you can determine future business objectives by examining your company's current image, sales practices and profitability. Tips on ensuring that your sales plan is successful by providing proper training will also be covered. This webinar is free as a benefit of membership; signup now to participate at https://msca.webex.com/! If you can't participate, a recording of the broadcast will be available two days after the webinar. Please contact Elinore Tibbetts (etibbetts@mcaa.org) for more information. |
MSCA's SELLING SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM WILL HELP BOOST YOUR BOTTOM-LINE
One of MSCA's most popular educational offerings is now open for registration. MSCA's Selling Skills Training Program, which will take place in Philadelphia, PA (April 30 - May 2), will provide participants with a tour through the sales cycle of the mechanical services industry as it exists today. Looking at the process from the customer's perspective, your sales team will walk away with a fresh approach to solving customer problems, solidifying customer relationships and increasing the return on their business development efforts. Skills and techniques that participants will learn include: recognizing and adjusting for important trends that may impact your customer relationships; creating customers for life through effective relationship management strategies; eliminating the silos between sales and service by forging synergistic, harmonious internal relationships; prioritizing your time by distinguishing between "real" and "artificial" customers; overcoming the barriers that stand in the way of reaching key decision-makers and influencers; de-emphasizing price as an obstacle to closure; learning how to communicate well with a variety of customers; and becoming a "sales detective" to find more sales with effective questioning techniques. To register, go to www.msca.org/education or contact Sobeida Orantes (saorantes@mcaa.org). |
INTEREST IN PENSION REFORM GROWING
Pension reform continues to gather interest in anticipation that the Pension Protection Act rewrite is possible in 2013. MCAA continues to participate in a number of forums discussing the potential scope and political dimensions of the rewrite of that measure. Recently, the House Education and Labor Committee Pension Subcommittee held a hearing focusing on the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's projected deficits (an estimated $26 billion in the coming years). Also considered were the implications of that issue for pension reform, both single employer and multiemployer plan funding reforms and related plan administration, design and liability issues. Most commentators agree that the political dimensions of the issue will hold as much, if not more, sway in its outcome in the next Congress as will any technical reform proposals. |
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FEDERAL BID LISTING PROPOSAL GAINS INTEREST
At a recent hearing of the House Small Business Contracting and Workforce Subcommittee, MCAA generated interest in the federal low-bid construction project bid listing proposal (H.R. 1778) from bipartisan questions that were posed. MCAA is pursuing those leads via House and Senate Small Business Committee contacts to determine if further legislative progress on the measure is possible this year. |
MCA OF NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA CONTRIBUTES TO MCERF
The MCA of Northwest Pennsylvania recently made a contribution of $2,500 to the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF). The MCERF Board of Trustees greatly appreciates the association's generosity and its donation will help the Foundation to continue supporting its education and research programs which are aimed at helping our industry progress. Find out more about MCERF and its programs at www.mcerf.org or contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcerf.org). |
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