NASGW InSight: April 17, 2012 Volume 13, No. 4

Vol. 13 No. 4

April 17, 2013

Missed last month's InSight? Recent past issues of InSight can be found by CLICKING HERE. Share this information with other members of your company!

Upcoming Events:

NRA 2013 Annual Meeting/ Convention

May 3-5, 2013

George R. Brown Convention Center

Houston, Texas

11^th Annual Shooting Industry Masters

July 19-21, 2013

Cody, Wyoming

NASGW Expo & 40th Annual Meeting
Oct. 29 - Nov. 1, 2013

Grapevine, Texas

New Members:

RB-17

Manufacturer Importer

Super Brush LLC

Manufacturer Importer

TALO Distributors

Trade Media

Services & Benefits:

Chairman's Commentary: Sales and the Political Climate Heat Up

As the political climate on both the state and federal level continue to highlight our industry, so does the desire for our products and services continue to "heat up" as well. Sales are HOT! So much so that many of our manufacturing and distributor members have been forced to go to an allocation process in order to serve their existing customers.

With some firearms and ammo products, we just simply can't keep up with the demand and commend our suppliers for their efforts to increase production and remain fair in their pricing.

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President's Message: Getting Ready for NASGW's Expo and 40th Annual Meeting

Moe Desmarais

With nearly 8 months to NASGW's 40th Annual Meeting and Expo, our trade show is 98% sold. Only a few spaces remain. A view of the current floor plan can be found on our website. If you haven't already secured space and wish to do so, please contact Michael Greskiewicz at 630-696-4017.

Need meeting space for a private meeting or reception? Many of our members hold sales and marketing meetings before and during our event. Last year over 40 companies requested meeting space. If you are interested in conducting a meeting during the week of October 27th, please complete the Meeting Space Request Form on the NASGW website.

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Webinar: Arming Your Sales Team for Success

NASGW Webinar

If you're selling almost anything in the hunting and shooting sports industry, sales is typically not your challenge. But what happens when this demand drops off and you have to compete based on the merits of your products, services and selling capabilities? Will you and every sales person be armed to win each sale? Are you going to prepare for this challenge now, or worry about it later?

In this one hour webinar, we will focus on three of the most important sales success factors and outline how you can make improvements in your sales team tomorrow.

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Check Out the New I-9 Forms Soon to be Mandatory

As an employer, you know that new hires must prove their identity and eligibility to work in the U.S. by filling out I-9 forms, and providing certain documents. Periodically, the federal government revises these forms to request more information or to add clarity to the instructions. The latest version of the Form I-9 was released on March 8. While there is some leeway, use of the new forms will soon be mandatory. Keep reading to find out about the changes and reminders of your responsibilities.

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Congratulations to NASGW Members...

Team GLOCK Competitor KC Eusebio on his win at the 2013 Jamaican Invitational Pistol Tournament
Kevin Barry, Total Sales and Marketingas "2013 Sales Rep Of The Year" for Carl Zeiss Sports Optics
NASGW members Lipseys and Ruger as Vendor of the Year by Cabelas
Ferguson Keller as the 2012 Sales Rep group of the Year for Umarex
Clay Owens of Tim Bailey & Associates as the 2012 Dealer/Distributor Sales Rep of the Year
Kevin Roberson of Schooler & Associates as the Key Account Sales Rep of the Year

Do you have an announcement you'd like to share? Send them to mdesmarais@nasgw.org.

ATF Gets A New Look

As part of an ongoing overhaul process of ATF.gov, the site has gotten a new look and added features. Additional features and aesthetic enhancements will roll out between spring and fall 2013.

Brownells 7th Annual Gunsmith Conference & Career Fair Sees Record Turnout

More than 400 attendees and 50 exhibitors participated in the Des Moines, Iowa, Downtown Marriott, in late March for the Brownells 7th Annual Gunsmith Conference & Career Fair. Doubling last year's turnout, this year's event drew 155 gunsmithing students from seven of the country's premier gunsmithing schools. In addition to the students, the record crowd consisted of working gunsmiths and gun shop owners seeking networking opportunities.

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Marijuana Use an Emerging Employment Conundrum?

You are the CEO of a company in Colorado or Washington, and your head of HR reports your preferred candidate for a significant position has tested positive for marijuana. Do you reject the person for that reason, or terminate an employee who tests positive for marijuana, if your employment policy specifically says illegal drug use will result in termination? But marijuana use is now legal under state law in Colorado and Washington while it remains illegal under federal law. This is almost certain to end up in federal or state courts if employers refuse to hire or if they terminate marijuana users. This is already an issue in states which permit the use of marijuana for medical purposes, with mixed results for employers and employees.

Before making an employment decision, know your state's law on the subject, both statutory and case law, get good legal advice on employment and liability issues, and see if your employment insurance addresses the issue. This is an unsettled area of the law, therefore unpredictable, and public sentiment is also unsettled. Proceed warily, especially in states where medical marijuana or marijuana use is permitted. Source: H & H Report, 3/15/13

IRS Modifies Employment Tax Settlement Program

The Internal Revenue Service has announced changes in its Voluntary Classification Settlement Program, which allows employers, including nonprofits, to reclassify employees they have been wrongly treating as independent contractors and make a limited employment tax payment for pay periods during which the workers have been improperly classified.

The program has proven very popular with employers. Any nonprofit that has doubts about its previous classification of workers as independent contractors should consider applying for program participation. Source: H & H report, 3/15/13

Canada/U.S. Cross-Border Freight

Get the highest border clearance rate among LTL carriers for your shipments. With YRC Freight, you have access to seamless crossings, a comprehensive North American network and our portfolio of expedited, guaranteed and specialized services.

Let the experts help you with your next cross-border Canada shipment. Contact your dedicated YRC Freight specialist at 800.647.3061 or associations@yrcw.com. As an NASGW member, you can receive significant savings with YRC Freight. Simply enroll online at enrollhere.net or contact us by phone or email.

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Articles of Interest

Here are this month's picks for articles of interest in best practices, sales & marketing and management:

Business Leader

How to Put an Errant Employee Back on Track When your employees have performance issues, it's vital to address the problem swiftly and effectively, writes Dan McCarthy.
More Distributors to Add Employees, Survey Says A Modern Distribution Management poll reports that nearly 70% of distributors surveyed said they plan to add to headcount this year, with around 68% to employ in outside sales and 43% to hire in inside sales.
Advice from 5 Leaders on Not Being a Control Freak Micromanaging every project is obviously a negative, but there are many ways to change your approach, writes Heather R. Huhman, who asks five leaders to offer advice.
Are You a Leader or a Baby Sitter? Too many bosses prefer to control their employees rather than empower them, writes Mike Myatt.
How Distributors Can Get the Most Out of Social Networking Distributors should consider integrating social media into general marketing plans, identifying the top main targets and developing a plan to reach them, writes Bridget McCrea.

Sales & Marketing

A 3-step Process for Setting Realistic Sales Goals The first step to setting realistic sales goals involves examining your company's prior performance and projecting growth for the coming year, writes Vanessa Merit Nornberg.
Watch for 10 Common Sales and Marketing Missteps Some companies are using sales and marketing strategies that are doomed to fail, according to this blog post.
Fix Your Sales Culture to Prevent Top Reps from Jumping Ship When a talented employee leaves your organization, it's often because he or she is dissatisfied with the sales culture, writes Dan Perry.

Business Strategies

How to Stand up to a Bully When it's a Client Customers can be assets, but they can also be abusive, badgering and manipulative, writes Baron Christopher Hanson.
Do Your Policies Indicate a Lack of Trust in Your Employees? Many companies implement policies that suggest that they don't trust their employees, Liz Ryan writes.

NAW Publications of the Month

Here are our picks for some helpful resources from the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW). NASGW members receive a discount off all NAW Publications.

30 best practices from 122 wholesaler-distributors and 60 action steps

"Sales and Marketing Optimization: Developing Competitive Value Propositions in Distribution," a groundbreaking study with wall map, examines sales and marketing strategy and processes, and their connection to shareholder value and customer service. It provides 30 best practices from 122 wholesaler-distributors and 60 action steps to implement immediately. Use it to maximize your value creation and keep your competitive advantage.

The B-to-B Online Marketing Toolkit for Distributors

With this book, take the vital first step toward transforming your company into an online marketing success. Author Bob DeStefano eliminates the mystery of online marketing in this step-by-step guide to attracting prospects, generating leads and sales, strengthening relationships with customers and measuring the return on your investment online. Learn more or order now.

Top 10 Distribution Trends: How distributors are positioning in 2013

This DVD presents 10 key trends in wholesale distribution across sectors. From a shifting competitive landscape to the return of distribution M&A, MDM Editor Lindsay Konzak covers the trends and what they mean for distributors as they plan for 2013 and beyond. This 60-minute program also covers top technology shifts, including e-commerce, mobile and analytics. Order now for just $39.

"Attendees at gun shows tell us the practice is even more obvious there. A short check of ammo makers and distributors yesterday didn't turn up any price hikes at their ends of the supply funnel- making it pretty obvious that some are taking advantage of the situation.

No, not everyone is doing that. But only a few unscrupulous operators are all it takes to fuel speculation that there's some conspiracy afoot. I'm still taking the position that the only thing we're seeing is an extreme example of demand outpacing supply."

-- Jim Shephard, Outdoor Wire

NASGW is comprised of wholesalers, manufacturers, and independent sales reps - both national and international - all of whom are primarily involved with hunting and shooting sports equipment and accessories. For more information, visit www.nasgw.org

The articles that appear in InSight are chosen from a variety of sources to reflect media coverage in the publishing industry. An article's inclusion in InSight does not imply that NASGW endorses, supports, or verifies its contents or expressed opinions. Factual errors are the responsibility of the listed publication.

COPYRIGHT © 2012 by National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW). and the individual authors of the materials contributed or referenced in InSight. Permission is granted for the broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, websites or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, of NASGW copyrighted material herein if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged.

Permission to use third party copyrighted material must be obtained separately from the individual authors. The "National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers", "NASGW", InSight and all other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing in this publication are the sole property of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers and may not be used without the Association's prior express written permission. All other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.