Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true.
«CHARLES DICKENS, ENGLISH NOVELIST
A dear friend of mine is a student of astrology—yes, horoscopes, how the stars align and how these lineups impact our lives. While I do not have much knowledge of these things, she occasionally imparts information to me about astrological matters I should be aware of in my life.
Recently, she informed me Mercury had moved into retrograde and my reaction was a somewhat sarcastic, “So?” She explained this is a time when communications can
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OVER THE PAST few years, it’s been discussed ad nauseam, advertised to the hilt and covered extensively in the pages of this magazine and others around the globe. Everyone is aware the Green Movement has a starring role in today’s business climate, yet the abundance of jargon that comprises the revolution’s supporting cast gets very little time in the spotlight. A general understanding of the terminology can go a long way to help the sale of consumer-requested organic apparel, not to mention increase the comfort level of end-users hesitant to go the green mile. Read on for a comprehensive cheat sheet, from A
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A prospect, like everyone else, is in some kind of pain. A distributor’s job is to both uncover that pain and understand how the right promotion will help alleviate it. My PARTNERS model is a simple acronym that will help you explain the features and benefits of your offering in such a way that your prospect will understand how accepting your offer will relieve his or her pain. Follow it, and you’ll dramatically accelerate your selling career. P—Pain: uncover, understand and translate it. To learn how you can move your customers, you must have a strong understanding of their core issues, as this is
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FROM THEIR INCEPTION as appropriate-for-daytime-wear wardrobe standby (or inappropriate, depending on who’s doing the judging), T-shirts have been the put-upon younger brother of the apparel clan. Slacker. Underachiever. Slob. Uniform of the basement-dwelling video-game player, or worse, the go-to garment for sweaty work outside or on a treadmill. Yet, in the last 10 years or so, there’s been a bit of a shake-up in the hierarchy. T-shirts grew up. In fact, they became king. In an effort to emanate a more offbeat vibe, many designers began adding them to their collections, emblazoned with rock-and-roll icons and/or ironic witticisms. Likewise, in a nod toward
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T’S NOT THAT easy being green. When Icelandic musician, Bragi Thor Valsson penned this lyric decades ago—which later became famous in the 1970’s by everybody’s favorite frog, Kermit—he couldn’t have known how prophetic the words would one day prove to be. Aside from providing a lovable children’s puppet with a cathartic means by which to come to terms with his self image, the lyric has, for this writer, come to epitomize the largely unspoken sentiment felt by much of the industry—What exactly does it mean to “go green?” For many suppliers, such as Fenton, Missouri-based QuickPoint, going green has to do with the incorporation,
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DISTRIBUTORS WOULD DO well to check out the latest health and wellness products. From items comprised of amped-up oxygen to those that undergo rigorous testing to ensure efficacy and even those that help ease neck pain, this year’s health and wellness products have come to the aid of ailing bodies and bottom lines. A REFRESHER COURSE Ballanda Corporation, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., brings something breathtaking to the industry this year—oxygen. The company is the exclusive supplier of O+ (Oxygen Plus), a portable oxygen product that “boosts energy, increases alertness and alleviates the effects of jet lag, altitude and [hangovers],” according to
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I’m going to be a Big Sister soon! Well, that’s not entirely true, as I’ve been ‘big sister’ to Noelina, Ephra and Andrew for the last three decades.
I’m in the process, however, of being matched with a “Little Sister” through the nation’s oldest youth mentorship program, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBS), headquartered in Philadelphia.
As I was walking the showroom floor at the PPAI Expo two weeks ago, I received a call from a BBBS representative informing me that she’d found a potential match for me. I paused and listened closely to the rundown of the young
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One of my favorite things about being an editor is that more often than not, real-life interests and passions actually intersect with what you are asked to write about. In this month’s magazine, I was happily immersed in the minutiae of political products and campaigns, which affords me the luxury to poke some fun at politics in the middle of my thousand or so words. I think, no matter who you are rooting for (or against), it’s good to try and see the lighter side of life. Next month I again get the chance to mix work and pleasure, namely, in
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St. Louis-based TRG Group, an international leader in the travel gear industry, participated in its second annual adoption of families from St. Louis’ 100 Neediest Cases last month. With the help of the United Way and the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch,” the St. Louis 100 Neediest Cases is a tradition, that each year publishes local personal stories of hardship and tragedy, in hopes of generating a spirit of giving to those less fortunate. The organization accepts group and individual donations by soliciting the help of friends or colleagues to adopt a family, or multiple families. This year, TRG Group was able to provide five
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Chestnut Ridge, New York-based supplier New Products International Inc. has hired Andrew Goranson, MAS, as assistant chief operating officer. He has over 16 years of industry experience and previously worked at Jetline and Timecal International Corp. “I am thrilled to be part of the New Products team,“ said Goranson. “I look forward to contributing to their tradition as a leader in innovation and excellence.” For more information on New Products, visit www.npionline.com
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