Is this site still alive?
Have not posted on this site since about November of 2007. My new site is
www.fastenerblog.net.
Just wondering what will happen if I post here. Let me know.
T.S.
(Traveling Salesman)
Find me on Twitter!
Moving to a New Home
Please click over to
www.fastenerblog.net to keep posted on what is going on in the fastener industry.
Fastener Show Preparation
Are you getting ready for the Las Vegas Fastener Show? Do you have sstrategy? No, I'm not talking about which bar you are going to end up at by the end of the night (although, that too is a strategy). I'm talking about what networking you are going to do. Do you have meetings already set up? Are you going with a stack of prints? Or are you on a search for a new supplier of some type of fastener product? If you aren't thinking ahead, you lose. There is not a better place or a better vehicle to make business contacts than at the Vegas show. Shame on you if you don't do a little thinking before you get there.
I'm staying at Mandalay Bay. I know, I know...my room will cost me $209 and I could stay at a lot cheaper place (before cab rides, etc.) right down the strip and I could save $50/night. But for $50/night I guarantee you I will see enough people coming and going from the show to make my money back many times over. You have to network. You have to make good contacts be it suppliers, customers, or any type of client. And for all the people I will run into near the show I tell you an extra $50/day is a steal.
Here is another little secret I will let you in on. I have used this every year at the Paris show and I hope I can find an opportunity to use it at Mandalay Bay. I find a nice, comfortable seat right on the hallway that leads to the show entrance. I get to the show about a half hour before it opens, sit down with a coffee and wait for the steady stream of suppliers and distributors to enter the show. I get there about 8:30 and stay till about 9:20 and then I enter the show and walk through it. In that 50-60 minute period I have the opportunity to run into at least 100 people that I do business with, work with or want to do business with. Heck, I could work that one hour and the whole show would be worth it. I have made more contacts in that half hour before the show starts than a lot of people make throughout the whole show. Again, this is our little secret.
If by chance you log on to this site....feel free to pass it on to other people who might want to post a note regarding our industry. THE FASTENER INDUSTRY!!!
Vegas Fastener Show Approaching
It is now late August but already I am starting to think about the Las Vegas Fastener Show in November. It will be here before you know it. New venue, more vendors than ever. Should be great. I went to the Midwest show in Chicago in June. I visited a few suppliers which made it a good trip. A lot of suppliers complained that it was not that active. Here is the scoop. All the little regional shows (and the Eastern Fastener Show for that matter) are not good because enough distributors do not show up at them. There is no one to sell to. If a supplier is paying a bunch of money for a booth they certainly want people walking by who might purchase from them or at least call for a quote. The most successful shows and organizations are the ones who can attract the customers!! The vendors will follow them and support any show or group where they can see their customers.
Fastener Sales Seem Soft
I'm located in the Midwest and it seems that the first few months of 2007 are a bit soft. Most of my customers seem to think things are a bit slower than they were last year. Of course, we all hope things pick up after the first quarter and, certainly we hope they pick up by mid year. But, what are you doing to make that happen? Are you changing your sales approach? Are you fiting your sales staff and blaming them for the downturn or are you asking them what they really need from you to grow sales?
Fastener Magazines
Which of these publications do you get? Better yet, which one is the best? Which one do you go to for current news? Which one for seeing pictures of yourself (that answer is easy!)? Which gives you the best technical information?
LINK
www.linkmagazine.comAmerican Fastener Journal
www.fastenerjournal.comFIN
www.fastenernews.comWhat other magazines do you receive related to the fastener industry.
Here's another question -- are there any other fastener blog locations that you log on to?
Fastener Blog Searching
First, if you happen to be checking out this blog -- thanks. As a thank you gift I have posted a YouTube video on the post below. Click on it. It is very funny and what is even more interesting is that the dialogue is not in English. It's worth the two minutes it takes to watch.
Next, I am trying to figure out how I can get people directly linked to this Fastener Blog if the type "Fastener Blog" on google. If you type that in it takes you to some site that, as far as I can tell, has nothing to do with the fastener industry. On the other hand, if you type "fastenerblog" as one word, you get connected to this site.
I am hoping that this eventually becomes a site where people within out industry can leave messages with rumors, opinions, and other interesting things related to our fastener industry. I need to figure out how to move this up in the google search engine. Any advice anyone?
