Supply House February 2012

Official Publication of the American Supply Association

FEBRUARY 2012

TO THE RESCUE

Master distributors gain influence

Bob Cooper, president of PVF master distributor Smith-Cooper International

> ASA Roundtable Interview: Part 2 PLUMBING – PVF – HYDRONICS – HVAC WWW.SUPPLYHT.COM

> Ferguson Recovers From Tornado

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FEBRUARY12 Volume 54, No. 12

COLUMNS > LETTER FROM THE ASA PRESIDENT ....... 30 Scott Weaver

> HYDRONICS TALK .. 36 Dan Holohan

> SHOWROOM

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STRATEGIES ............. 40 Hank Darlington

12 To the rescue Master distributors continue to gain industry influence. .......................

Product Preview..........

10

Fast forward, part 2

12 10

Leading PHCP wholesalers talk about customer relationships, social media and health care reform in the second of a two-part series .....................

Knocked down, but hardly out Leadership and resourcefulness help Ferguson’s Raleigh, N.C., location rebound from tornado damage. .......................

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WINNER

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SUPPLYHOUSE TIMES

FEBRUARY 2012

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DEPARTMENTS > Down The Pipe ....... 6 Industry News, Bath & Kitchen, HVAC/R & Hydronics, Technology See www.supplyht.com for extended coverage of news.

> The PVF Beat..............8 > ASA News.............. 32 > Classifieds ............ 44 > Ad Index............... 46 > In Closing ............. 48 Mike Miazga

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ON THE COVER Bob Cooper, president of industrial PVF master distributor Smith-Cooper International. Photo courtesy of Smith-Cooper International.

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CORPORATE OFFICE 2401 West Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333 248-362-3700; fax: 248-362-0317 SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES Volume 54 Issue 12 (ISSN 0039-5935) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $115.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $149.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $165.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by BNP Media II, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES, P.O. Box 2149, Skokie, IL 60076. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES, P.O. Box 2149 Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or [email protected].

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FEBRUARY 2011

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C O M PA N Y / A S S O C I AT I O N / T R E N D S / P E O P L E / G O V E R N M E N T . . . N E W S Visit www.supplyht.com for breaking news and Web Exclusives.

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE American Supply Association Education Foundation hired Doug Dillon as its director of professional development. Dillon will be responsible for formalizing the new education and training advisory model for the Foundation, as well as overseeing the Branch Manager CertificaDillon tion Program. Affiliated Distributors promoted Jack Templin to president of its industrial supply division and hired Jeffrey S. Beall for the new position of president of PHCP divisions. The National Kitchen & Bath Templin Association appointed Alan W. Zielinski to president. Zielinski currenly serves as president and CEO of Niles, Ill.-based Better Kitchens. Knoxville, Tenn.based Modern Zielinski Supply hired Rob McInturff as its Johnson City, Tenn., branch manager. Madison, Wis.-based First Supply named Ted Meyer general manager McInturff of the company’s facilities in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Platteville, Wis. LA-CO Industries/Markal Co. named George Bowman its new president. PVF distributor Deacon Industrial Supply Meyer hired Shawn DeLuca as an industrial account executive. He will develop Deacon’s presence and build new and existing customer relationships in the Marcellus Shale region. BrassCraft promoted George Werner to vice president of retail sales. Werner began his career with the Masco Corp. family of companies in 1994 as a sales manager at Alsons Corp. Bradley Corp. appointed Bryan, Erik and Christopher Mullett to the company’s board of directors. It’s the fifth generation of the Mullett family to have board roles with Bradley. Bryan Mullet is the president of Bradley Fixtures; Erik Mullett is vice president of Division 10 sales; and Christopher Mullett is regional sales manager of Division 22.

OBITUARIES Mike Bales, president of Salem, Ore.based Prier Pipe and Supply, died Jan. 3 at the age of 58. Former A. O. Smith chairman and CEO Thomas I. Dolan died Dec. 25 at the age of 84. Edward R. Hardison, the former president of Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating, died Dec. 15.

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SUPPLYHOUSE TIMES

Compiled by John McNally

Dolan

FEBRUARY 2012

American Standard names Gould president and CEO >

American Standard Brands’ growth phase includes a change at the top of its management structure. The company recently named Jay D. Gould its new president and CEO. Gould replaces Don Devine, who left to pursue other opportunities. Gould most recently was president of the Home & Family Group of Newell Rubbermaid and previously held senior executive roles with The Campbell Soup Co., Coca-Cola and General Mills. “American Standard successfully weathered the challenging business environment over the past several years, Gould emerging as an even stronger business and now prepares for a more assertive growth agenda,” Gould said. American Standard Brands Chairman of the Board Tom Taylor praised Devine’s work, which included successful mergers of American Standard, Crane Plumbing, Eljer Plumbing, Safety Tubs and Decorative Panels International. “While Don has done an outstanding job in building and repositioning the company, Jay will lead the next phase of the company’s development, which will focus on growth,” Taylor said.

Briggs is purchased by its own management

>

Bob Robison and other U.S. executives with Briggs

Plumbing Products saw the opening and seized it. Six months later, the management team completed a deal with Santiago, Chile-based Cisa to purchase Briggs Plumbing, making it a fully American-owned company. “We realized there was a huge opportunity and we started to pursue it,” Robison told Supply House Times. Robison, Briggs’ vice president of sales and marketing, said it was a “constant struggle” over the last 14 years with Briggs being owned by a foreign company. Briggs’ success Dockery and market share was at the mercy of the South American market, he noted. “The biggest (problem) was when business in South America was going well, they weren’t going to give us as much product,” Robison said. “That limited us many times.” Briggs plans a major new product launch, a freedom Robison and President/CEO and co-owner Chuck Dockery said they find refreshing. “We truly are a new company focused on new products, quality and service,” Dockery said. Robison

PVF BEAT

N E W S , I N S I G H T S A N D B A C K G R O U N D I N F O R M AT I O N O F I N T E R E S T T O P V F P E O P L E

Compiled by John McNally [email protected]

Service center shipments growing at slower rates

>

Service center shipments in November 2011 grew at slower rates compared to October 2011 numbers, the Metals Service Center Institute reports. Centers shipped 3,301 thousand tons of steel products in November, a 10.6% increase from the same time a year earlier. Last year, 37,753 thousand tons were shipped, a 15% increase over 2010. Steel inventories were at 8,100 thousand tons in November 2011, an increase of 11.3% over November 2010, but a 3.3% decrease compared to October 2011 numbers. At the current shipping rate, there is 2 1/2 months of supply on hand, a 9.7% increase over 2010. The World Steel Association reports the United States produced 7.2 million metric tons of crude steel in November, an increase of 11.8% compared to November 2010. World crude steel production in November 2011 for the 64 countries reporting to WSA was 116 million metric tons, which represents a 1.1% increase over November 2010 data.

McJunkin Red Man taking stock public

>

MRC Global Inc., formerly McJunkin Red Man Holding Corp., recently announced it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission related to a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the offering have yet to be determined, however a story in the Charleston (W. Va.) Daily Mail notes the registration statement estimates the proposed maximum aggregate offering will be $100 million. An application will be made to list the common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “MRC.” In other MRC news, the company recently signed an agreement to acquire the operations and assets of Australian-based OneSteel Piping Systems. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of this year and carries an acquisition price of AUD $67 million. Effective as of closing, OPS will operate as MRC Piping Systems Australia. The Sydney-based acquisition follows the acquisition of Melbourne-based MRC Transmark Australia in October 2009, and Perth-based MRC SPF in June 2011.

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FEBRUARY 2012

> Bakersfield Pipe & Supply, Inc. Bakersfield, Calif. www.onlinepipe.com >> CIB Corporation San Juan, P.R. www.cibcorp.com >> Dellon Sales Roslyn, N.Y. www.dellonsales.com >> Empire Plumbing Supply Broken Arrow, Okla. www.epsupply.com >> General Plumbing Supply, Inc. Edison, N.J. www.generalplumbingsupply.net >> Hydrologic Distribution Company Pinellas Park, Fla. www.hydrologicdistribution.com >> Main Line Supply Co. Dayton, Ohio www.mainlinesupply.com >> Marshall-Rodeno Associated Denver, Colo. www.marshallrodeno.com >> Ohio Pipe Valves & Fittings, Inc. Cleveland, Ohio http://ohpipe.com/ >> Uponor Inc. Apple Valley, Minn. www.uponor.ca To join ASA, please contact Chris Murin, Executive Director, at [email protected] or 630/467.0000, ext. 204.

ASA NEWS

ASA Unveils New Logo, Branding As mentioned in our “Still Here and Looking Forward” article in the January 2012 ASA News, the Executive Committee of ASA recently commissioned the development of a new logo, look and “brand” for ASA. This new “brand” mirrors the vibrant new ASA that has emerged over the past few years. Our goal is to provide a fresher and bolder look to the industry that accurately reflects ASA’s reemergence as a leading association. Please take note of our new look at www.asa.net, in ASA News, ASA Insights and in all of ASA’s marketing materials as we move further into 2012.

ASAEF Welcomes Doug Dillon as Director of Professional Development The American Supply Association Education Foundation (ASAEF) recently announced the hiring of Doug Dillon as Director of Professional Development. In this role, he will be responsible for formalizing the new education and training advisory model for the Foundation, as well as overseeing the development and implementation of the Branch Manager Certification Program, including the related content, requirements and assessments. Prior to joining ASAEF, Dillon served as the Director of Global Learning for the Kohler Co., Kohler, Wis., where he was responsible for the expansion of executive sales development, coaching and leadership training for the 30,000-employee global organization. In addition to the launching of an organization-wide Learning Management System and Sales Academy, Dillon created a comprehensive management development process and curriculum to identify and train top potential talent. Doug is no stranger to the ASAEF, having served as a volunteer Trustee since 2007. During this period, Doug helped guide the organization toward the establishment of the University Model, creation of online content, and was the first Dean of the College of Sales. “We are extremely excited to have Doug on board with his strong expertise to help with the growth of the association’s educational offerings. This addition will greatly benefit all ASA members,” said Amy Black, executive director for the ASAEF. “Doug is an accomplished, MBAcredentialed professional with a deep understanding of our members’ operations which will enable the Foundation to enhance our value.” For more information on the ASAEF, please contact Amy Black, Executive Director, at [email protected] or 630/467.0000, ext. 202.

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SAFETY RESOURCES in the PHCP & PVF industry

Toolbox Talks Rack Storage – Fitness Throughout the Lifecycle By: Dave Olson, President – Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI), and John Nofsinger, Managing Director – RMI Storage racks have long been a workhorse solution A complimentary FAQ section on the RMI website speaks to to achieving order and efficiency in manufacturing, most of these issues and many others. You can view these warehousing and distribution operations. With regular care FAQ’s at www.mhia.org/industrygroups/rmi/faq. and maintenance, these ubiquitous structures have proven The lifecycle of a rack installation begins with the planto perform as intended for a long and productive lifecycle. ning phase and the recognition that racks are actually one of many subsystems that come together to form a fully inThe purpose of this article is twofold: a. To expose the reader to some of the characteristics of tegrated operating system. These subsystems will include, a planned, properly installed and well- managed, well- but are not limited to: • The building itself maintained installation. b. To set the tone for a webinar scheduled for March 14, • The flooring and sub-soil 2012 at 2 p.m. Eastern that will go into a bit more detail • The racking itself on the subject. Please see webinar article below for • The anchorage scheme • The load platform (pallets, etc.) more information. • Decking, load support and fall protection options To begin, racks are highly engineered structures designed • Handling equipment for a very specific purpose and range of use. The current • Load containment and confinement protocols and highly regarded National Standard for selective pallet • Guarding of workers and the rack structure racks, RMI/ANSI MH16.1-2008 (soon to be replaced by a • Load notices and safety labeling 2011 edition), has evolved over the past 50 years to where • Lighting and HVAC issues it has become the definitive design default document in • Fire-safety protocols the International Building Code. While primarily a design • Inspection and maintenance document, MH16.1 also contains reference to certain • Worker training installation and operational factors.The document speaks to • And, certainly others. anchoring, installation tolerances, clearances, signage (load notices) and damage, as well as load application and rack A complete version of this article and a corresponding configuration drawings that show permissible arrangement Toolbox Talk to use with your employees can be found by of components — something very important to getting the clicking on “Safety Articles” in the Safety Resources section of most advantage from these very adaptable structures. www.asa.net.

March 14 ASA Safety Webinar to Focus on Storage Rack Installation and Maintenance ASA’s Safety Committee will be offering a FREE webinar on the topic of proper storage rack installation and maintenance on Wednesday, March 14 at 2 p.m. (EST). Conducting this informational webinar will be John Nofsinger, managing director of the Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI) and Dave Olson, president of RMI. The webinar will cover the entire lifecycle of a storage rack installation including the

34

SUPPLYHOUSE TIMES

FEBRUARY 2012

planning process and subsystems such as anchoring, material handling equipment, lighting and HVAC issues, fire safety protocols, inspection and maintenance, worker training and much more. Please contact Ben Stephens at [email protected] or 630/467.0000, ext. 203 for more webinar details or visit ASA’s homepage at www.asa.net to register online.

ASA NEWS

TRUST IN RESEARCH

www.clearseasresearch.com

HYDRONICS TALK

The nature of

diverter tees >

■ by Dan Holohan [email protected]

When I think hydronics, I think traffic. I can’t help it. The two are so similar. Here, imagine you’re the water in a main heating pipe. You’re driving down the pipe when you notice an accident up ahead. There’s a lane or two closed up there, so you hop on the service road. But you’ll only do that if you’re a local and you know that the service road doesn’t involve a 100-mile detour. If you knew that, you’d probably stay on the highway, wouldn’t you? Sure you would, and so would I. This is why there sometimes is no heat in that radiator up on the second floor — the one that the diverter tee and its partner, the standard tee down in the basement, are supposed to take care of. Sure, it looks like an air problem, but it’s a flow-balance problem. You prove this by bleeding the radiator. You don’t get any air, which means it ain’t an air problem.

Flow in a closed system

is always about traffic. Time to stop bleeding. Flow in a closed system is always about traffic. These diverter tees, which are on so many older systems, don’t “scoop” water. They just direct the traffic. If it’s too congested on this main road, the water will get off and take that other road, but only if the detour isn’t that long. The difference in pressure between the different ports of the tees decides where the traffic goes. Can you see it in your mind’s eye? Can you feel it? Good. Most diverter tees come with a ring that’s cast into one side of the tee’s run. When you see these tees on a job, the rings should always be between the two pipes that run out to the radiator that the tees serve. Sometimes we use just one tee, but often it takes two tees to get the job done. Preventing a traffic jam Here are the rules of thumb: 1 If the radiator is on the floor directly above the main, one tee should do the trick. That tee should be on the return pipe (coming from the radiator), with the ring on the inboard side of the pipes that feed the radiator.

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SUPPLYHOUSE TIMES

FEBRUARY 2012

Photo courtesy of Taco

2 If the radiator is on the second floor, you’ll need two tees, and the pipe leading to the radiator should be one size larger than what you would normally use. For instance, 1/2” for the first floor becomes 3/4” if the radiator is on the second floor. This is to keep the pressure drop to and from the radiator to a minimum. Think like water. 3 The tees should ideally be the width of the radiator apart. When these tees were popular, so were freestanding, cast-iron radiators and convectors. These radiators and convectors were typically about three feet wide, and that’s why you’ll often see the tees placed at that distance apart on the main. 4 If you remove a freestanding radiator or convector and replace it with lots of linear feet of baseboard radiation, don’t be surprised if the water decides to stay in the main. You just increased the resistance to flow by increasing the length of the detour. You made the side road longer. 5 If the radiators are below the main, use a diverter tee on both the supply and the return, be certain that the rings on the tees are between the pipes that go to the radiator (meaning that the tees will face in opposite directions), and make sure the tees are as wide apart as the radiator is long. 6 If you remove a radiator and you’re not going to replace it, connect the bulls of the two tees with a 1/2” pipe so that water has a place to go. Otherwise, you’re leaving two major accidents on the main road, and closing the service road at the same time. That’s going to slow the flow of traffic to the whole system. 7 One more thing: Staggering the tees (supply/return/ supply/return) will increase the resistance to flow along the main and encourage more water to flow to the radiators. That’s an old-timer’s trick.

HYDRONICS TALK

Thermostatic radiator valves While I have you thinking about the difference in pressure and how it can make or break a job with diverter tees, let’s consider thermostatic radiator valves. These nonelectric zone valves seem like naturals for zoning a one-pipe, diverter-tee system, and I like them a lot for that, but you have to be very careful when you choose them. These valves, even when they’re wide open, offer a resistance to the flow of water through the radiator, and that resistance might be enough to stop the water altogether. The TRV has two parts. The part that attaches to the pipe is a normally open, spring-loaded valve. You’ll attach to this the other part of the TRV, which is an operator that contains either a fluid or a wax that is very sensitive to changes in room-air temperature. As the temperature rises or falls, the fluid or the wax inside the operator will expand and contract, moving the spring-loaded valve open or closed. Control the flow and you’ll control the heat. You can adjust a TRV to whatever temperature you’d like in the room it serves, typically between 50° and 90° F. What you need to watch out for, though, is the TRV’s pressure drop. You can see this in the valve manufacturer’s literature. They show it as Cv. That’s an engineering term that always appears as a number. You’ll see something like this: Cv = 2.5. That 2.5 is gallons per minute. Any number that appears after the = in the Cv equation will always be gpm, and what the equation is saying is that when, in this case, 2.5 gpm flows across that particular valve, there will be a corresponding drop in pressure from one side of the valve to the other of 1 psi. Cv always relates to a difference in pressure of 1 psi. If you look at two valves, one where the Cv = 2.5, and the other where the Cv = 3.0, the latter valve will have less of a pressure drop. Think it through. With the first valve, you get a 1-psi drop in pressure with just 2.5 gpm flowing. The second valve can flow a full 3 gpm before the water suffers that same 1-psi pressure drop. So, if I were choosing between those two TRVs for my diverter-tee system, I’d probably choose the second valve because it has a higher Cv number, which means it offers less resistance to flow. I don’t want the valve, when fully open and just sitting there, to present my flow with so much resistance that flow just stops because, where there is no flow, there is no heat. That would be one major traffic jam.

■ by Hank Darlington darlingtonconsulting@ gmail.com

I’ve been reluctant to write on this subject because, quite frankly, I really don’t like a lot of “forms.” However, when I reflected on how much they helped my business become more professional and proficient, and how they’ve helped dozens of my consulting clients, I decided to plunge ahead. The key is to find the happy medium on what forms to use and how many to create. I’ve seen too many businesses with not enough — and several that flat-out went overboard! I strongly believe that creating and utilizing the right forms will help make your business run better. They bring consistency to the business. They help garner information that will help you increase sales, productivity, efficiency and even morale. Many (probably most) of you now use a variety of forms in your business. I would urge you to take a long, hard look at each and every one of them. Are they still pertinent? Do they create a benefit? Are they repetitious? Do the benefits outweigh the time and energy required to complete them? One of the very best-run kitchen and bath dealers I ever worked with had the best forms I had ever seen. But, because the owner saw the many benefits from the

Gathering the proper information

will increase sales, productivity, efficiency and morale. forms he had instituted, he kept adding more forms. Productivity started to fall off, employee morale suffered and when he dug into the problems he discovered that he had seriously “over-formed” the business. He did an in-depth analysis and cut back to a smaller, solid core of forms. Productivity and morale improved almost immediately. Get your team together and analyze your forms. I’ll bet some might go away, others might be improved and you might find a need for one or two new ones. This is an exercise you should do every two or three years. Times change, circumstances change — and your forms also should change. Plus, what used to be mainly paper can likely now go digital.

40 SUPPLYHOUSE TIMES FEBRUARY 2012

Here are a few forms I used in my business that I have shared with my business management workshops and when I go on consulting jobs. Customer sign-in form: This is a professionally done registration form. You ask your clients to please sign in, giving their name, why they are there and how they heard about you. Addresses, phone numbers and email addresses are optional. This will allow you to wait on clients in the order that they came in and it will give you a “heads up” as to why they are there. Learning how they heard about you will give you good marketing information. Customer information form: I encourage all showroom salespeople to use one of these. After you have introduced yourself and greeted the potential client, you will need to ask a series of questions to find out who the customer is, what project they are working on, where the project is and do they have a builder and/or plumber, etc. You should have a nice binder or clipboard with the form attached. After you have started to build rapport with the prospect and possibly offered them a refreshment, ask if they would mind if you made some important notes from your conversation with them. Explain that it will help you help them! This form should include all of the qualifying questions that you need to ask and also provide room for other information that will make you look and act professional. This is the beginning of the information gathering system. Of course, if your business is in the “techie” age, then you may be using a digital notebook or tablet.

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Basic Design Specifications

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t PFI ES-16: Bosses & Plugs for Radiographic Inspection of Pipe Welds t NACE MR0175: Sulfide Stress Cracking Resistant Metallic Materials t NACE MR0103: Materials Resistant to Sulfide Stress Cracking in Corrosive Petroleum Refining Environments for Oilfield Equipment t MSS SP-97: Branch Outlets – Socket Weld, Threaded, & Butt-Weld t A694 F52 - 70: High Transmission Service t B1.20.1: Pipe Threads t B16.5: Pipe Flanges & Flanged Fittings t B16.9: Butt-Weld Fittings t B16.11: Socket-Weld & Threaded Fittings t B16.25: Butt-Weld End Preparations t MSS SP-79: Socket Weld Reducer Inserts

B31.11: Slurry Transportation Piping Systems ASME Sec. VIII, Div. 1: Boiler & Pressure Vessel B31.1: Power Piping B31.3: Process Piping B31.4: Pipeline Transportation B31.8: Gas Transmission B31.9: Building Services Piping (HVAC) 1341 Hill Road Houston, TX 77039 Houston Local: (281) 590-0190 Toll Free: (888) 610-0777 Fax: (281) 590-1415 www.woihouston.com

SHOWROOM STRATEGIES Quote/takeoff form: After you have qualified the client and determined what the project is and that it will be worth your time and their time to work together, you will begin looking at and identifying products that the prospect is interested in. This form (paper or digital) lists every possible product that you could sell them. At our business, we had a bath form, a kitchen form (that included the wet bar and laundry room) and a door and cabinet hardware form. It reminds salespeople to include every item you sell — and once again makes you look professional. In addition, it organizes the information. Monthly sales and gross profit form: As I’ve said in past articles, I believe every salesperson should have monthly sales and profit (dollars and percentage) goals. The above form tells your people what their monthly sales and profit numbers are. There should be space for the “boss” to make appropriate comments. People like to know how they’re performing. This gives it to them. Job description form: Every employee deserves to know exactly what their job involves. This form spells it out in detail. A series of bullet points, usually on one page, tells the employee exactly what they are expected to do. Job performance evaluation form: Just like everyone deserves to know what’s expected of them, they also need to know exactly how they are performing in their job. A once- or twice-a-year “sit down” with their supervisor and a formal evaluation of the employee’s performance will improve performance, productivity and morale. I used two very similar forms for this: one form the supervisor used to evaluate the employee and the other form the employee used to evaluate themselves. I realize that the

above two forms fall into the realm of human resources, but I feel so strongly about this that I included it here. Vendor analysis form: This form is designed to help you evaluate each of your main vendor partners. It’s all-inclusive and allows you to evaluate quality of product, service, pricing, reps, et al. My experience told me that the consistency of quality, delivery, service and representation can change pretty dramatically – and you need to be proactive in addressing the areas of concern. The form is also a great vehicle to help you remove duplicate and/or underperforming vendors. If you represent more than six or eight faucet lines, in my opinion that is too many. You won’t really be important to any of them. Use this form to help determine who the keepers and losers might be. I would also encourage you to have your vendors evaluate you. What’s good for one should be good for the other. Develop a form for your vendors and ask them to complete it and return it to you. I’ll bet you’ll learn a lot of things – many of you will want to improve to make you better than you are. Competitor mystery shopping form: I found out early on that the more I knew about my competition the better I could make my business. The best way to learn about your competitors is to shop them. Do it yourself, if you can. If that’s not feasible, hire someone (a designer, architect or even a friend) and ask them to visit each of your competitors. Use a form to do it so that all the evaluations are consistent. This form should be all-inclusive: their location, the physical property, parking, the entrance, windows, inside the showroom and everything about the showroom layout, the products and the staff. I have used this

form dozens of times, both when I owned my own business and as a consultant doing mystery shopping at my clients’ competitors. It’s amazing how much you learn. You’ll see some very good things – which you might want to incorporate into your operation — and you’ll see some things that are pretty darned poor! Be careful not to take up a lot of a competitor’s sales consultant’s time — you wouldn’t want them “wasting” your sales team’s time! I have several funny and a few embarrassing stories I could tell about my “mystery shopping” experiences, but space won’t allow me to go into detail. Suffice it to say that on several occasions I was pretending to be a prospective client and was quickly identified as Hank Darlington who writes articles and presents workshops. Pretty much, they wanted to know why in the heck I was in their showroom. Honesty always got me off the hook! There are lots more forms we could talk about, but these are the important ones that I believe will help you grow sales, profitability and improve productivity and morale. Good luck! I hope they help you as much as they’ve helped me!