By: Wendi Hope King
OK, so a glass full of change is not going to do a whole lot
for our businesses. It's not the amount, but how you use it, right? As many of
us sit in our offices wondering when the economy will make its massive turn
around, others of us trust that maybe this will be as favorable as it gets for
a long time. We must make the best of it. We must put our money where it will
be most beneficial for our businesses, employees and families.
Taking advantage of opportunities when they arise and
meeting the challenge when obstacles appear poised to hold us back are what
will keep our industry thriving.
To assist you, we offer our Annual Buyer's Guide complete
with supplier and product listings, a product/service guide and an index of
associations and government entities that may help advance you even further
down the road to prosperity.
In addition, page 7 begins our editorial section that
presents ideas for your business plans. In various surveys throughout the past
year, finding new clients has been cited as one of the most challenging tasks
among WQP readers. Generating new leads for salespeople to follow up on is an
area that requires a lot of attention, although it may seldom receive as much
as it requires. It is through aggressive marketing programs that dealers will
locate new leads to generate sales for years to come. Page 8 offers suggestions
to generate those leads you and your sales team need in order to continue your
success.
Page 12 discusses finding opportunities where others may not
see them. With unremitting changes in regulations and standards in our
industry, dealers must remain up to date with them and employ some creative
thinking to find ways to make sales despite these changes.
You can bet that when an opportunity presents itself, if you
don't jump on it the dealer across town will. Seeking out new customers is step
one in making your business a success. Once you find the customers--sometimes
in new areas others may not have tried yet--it is up to you to earn their
loyalty with high-quality products and effective and economic solutions to
their drinking water needs. Find opportunity in the ever-changing standards by
using them to leverage sales. Generate the lead and sell high-quality products
to the customer to develop his loyalty and business will thrive.
You also can visit our new website at www.wqpmag.com. We've
launched this new site in order to continue bringing you timely news, product
announcements and water treatment information all in one source.
Keep this buyer's guide on hand all year long to help you
find those resources you need for products, services and solutions to better
serve your customers and help you cash in on opportunities.
Welcome to the water treatment industry.
About The Author: Wendi Hope King is editor of WQP. She can be reached at [email protected]
